The Nigeria Police Force (NPF), through its INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB) in Abuja, has successfully arrested and repatriated a Chinese national, Chen Gaochong, to the People’s Republic of China in connection with a large-scale tax fraud case.
According to a statement signed by the Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the operation, carried out in close collaboration with Chinese police authorities and in line with international policing protocols, underscores the strength of global cooperation in tackling financial crime.
Chen, who had been on the run since 2019, was declared wanted by the Peixian Public Security Bureau in Jiangsu Province for unlawfully issuing 45 falsified Value Added Tax (VAT) invoices totaling RMB 4.97 million (approximately $684,000).
Chinese investigators established that the fraudulent invoices were issued between May and August 2017 under the pretense of legitimate business dealings, using the names of two companies without their knowledge or involvement.
After fleeing Mainland China through the Shenzhen Bay port to Hong Kong in November 2019, Chen made his way to Burkina Faso before illegally entering Nigeria in 2021.
the statement noted that n an effort to evade arrest, he reportedly refused to renew his passport to obscure his identity adding that a formal arrest warrant was issued by Chinese authorities in July 2020.
INTERPOL NCB Abuja launched discreet intelligence operations following a request from China, ultimately leading to Chen’s arrest in Lagos on Tuesday, June 24, 2025.
He was repatriated and handed over to Chinese authorities on Thursday, July 3, 2025. Nigerian police described the move as a “significant milestone” in international criminal justice collaboration.
