By SUNTV Global Channel | July 30, 2026
The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has repatriated a 42-year-old Chinese national, Cai Jinlian, to the People’s Republic of China to face prosecution over alleged involvement in an international wildlife trafficking operation.
In a statement issued by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, the operation was carried out by the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB), Abuja, under existing bilateral police cooperation agreements between Nigeria and China.
According to the police, Jinlian is wanted by Chinese authorities for allegedly smuggling approximately 12 tonnes of endangered tree pangolin scales from Nigeria to China in two separate shipments between November 2018 and April 2019.
Investigators said the alleged trafficking network was uncovered by the Anti-Smuggling Sub Bureau of Wenzhou Customs in China. Police also disclosed that two of the suspect’s alleged accomplices were previously prosecuted, convicted, and sentenced to more than 14 years’ imprisonment by the Wenzhou Intermediate People’s Court in December 2020.
The statement further revealed that Jinlian allegedly fled China to Egypt in July 2019, prompting Chinese authorities to obtain an arrest warrant in March 2020, followed by the issuance of an INTERPOL Red Notice in May 2020.
According to the Nigeria Police, intelligence later indicated that the suspect had relocated to Nigeria around 2023, where he reportedly moved between Delta and Plateau States before his arrest in Abuja on July 18, 2026.
Following his arrest, the suspect was repatriated to Shanghai on July 29, 2026, where he is expected to face the pending criminal charges.
Inspector-General of Police Olutunji Rilwan Disu commended the officers involved in the operation and reaffirmed the Nigeria Police Force’s commitment to strengthening collaboration with international law enforcement agencies through INTERPOL and other strategic partnerships to combat transnational organised crime and protect endangered wildlife.
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