The Nigeria Police Force successfully apprehended and returned a 42-year-old Chinese national, Cai Jinlian, to the People's Republic of China on July 29, 2026, to answer charges related to the illegal trade of endangered species. Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, confirmed the operation in a statement released on the same day.
Arrest by INTERPOL Abuja
Jinlian was taken into custody on July 18, 2026, by operatives of the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB) based in Abuja. According to Iniedu, the fugitive is accused of orchestrating the illicit shipment of two consignments of tree pangolin scales from Nigeria to China between November 2018 and April 2019.
Massive Scale of Trafficking
The statement detailed that Jinlian is wanted for smuggling approximately 12 tonnes of tree pangolin scales in those two shipments. The investigations were conducted by the Anti-Smuggling Sub Bureau of Wenzhou Customs. Two of his accomplices were convicted in December 2020 and sentenced to over 14 years of imprisonment by the Wenzhou Intermediate People's Court in Zhejiang Province.
Flight and Capture
Jinlian fled China for Egypt on July 12, 2019, before an arrest warrant was issued against him on March 24, 2020. An INTERPOL Red Notice was published on May 10, 2020. Intelligence later indicated that he had relocated to Nigeria around 2023, moving between Delta and Plateau States. Acting on credible intelligence, the INTERPOL NCB Abuja team arrested him in the capital and subsequently repatriated him to Shanghai on July 29, 2026, under bilateral police cooperation arrangements to face the pending charges.
Police Commitment to Combating Wildlife Crime
Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olutunji Rilwan Disu, commended the professionalism and dedication of the INTERPOL NCB Abuja team. He charged the Environmental Crimes and Works of Art Team to intensify intelligence-led efforts against wildlife trafficking and other transnational organized crimes. “He reaffirmed the Nigeria Police Force’s commitment to strengthening international law enforcement cooperation through INTERPOL and other strategic partnerships to combat transnational crime and protect endangered wildlife,” the statement concluded.
