The Nigeria Police Force has confirmed the arrest and repatriation of a Chinese fugitive, Chen Gaochong, who was wanted for tax fraud amounting to nearly five million Chinese Yuan (approximately \$5 million). According to a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, Gaochong was apprehended in Lagos on June 24, 2025, during a covert intelligence-led operation by the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB), Abuja, in collaboration with Chinese law enforcement agencies.
He was officially handed over to Chinese authorities on July 3, 2025.Gaochong was wanted by the Peixian Public Security Bureau in Jiangsu Province for issuing 45 fraudulent special Value Added Tax (VAT) invoices worth RMB 4,974,400 between May and August 2017. These fake transactions were carried out under the guise of legitimate business, using the identities of two Chinese companies—Linhai Guangyong Plastic Products Co., Ltd. and Linhai Beilaisi Plastic Products Co., Ltd.—without authorization.
After his crimes were uncovered, Gaochong fled Mainland China through the Shenzhen Bay port to Hong Kong on November 16, 2019. He later travelled to Burkina Faso and illegally entered Nigeria in 2021, reportedly avoiding passport renewal to conceal his identity.
Adejobi noted that a formal arrest warrant was issued in China on July 9, 2020, and INTERPOL began an international cooperation effort, leading Nigerian authorities to initiate surveillance. The operation ultimately led to Gaochong’s arrest in Lagos.
“In the spirit of international law enforcement cooperation and mutual legal assistance, Mr. Chen Gaochong was repatriated and formally handed over to Chinese authorities on Thursday, July 3, 2025,” Adejobi said. He described the operation as a major milestone in global law enforcement collaboration and reaffirmed the Nigeria Police Force’s commitment to ensuring the country does not become a refuge for international fugitives.
Source: https://saharareporters.com/
