Chinese Man On The Run For Six Years Caught In Lagos
The Nigeria Police Force, through the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB) Abuja, has arrested and repatriated a Chinese national, Mr. Chen Gaochong, who had been on the run for over six years for alleged tax fraud in his home country.
Police spokesperson, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, confirmed on Thursday that the arrest followed a joint operation between Nigerian and Chinese law enforcement agencies in line with international policing protocols.
Authorities in Jiangsu Province had declared Gaochong wanted for allegedly issuing fraudulent Value Added Tax (VAT) invoices amounting to RMB 4,974,400.
The Peixian Public Security Bureau launched an investigation on March 5, 2020, revealing that the suspect generated 45 fictitious VAT invoices between May and August 2017.
According to Adejobi, Gaochong carried out the fraud under the pretence of running legitimate business operations.
He reportedly used two companies: “Linhai Guangyong Plastic Products Co., Ltd. and Linhai Beilaisi Plastic Products Co., Ltd.—to issue invoices to Xuzhou Wanfeng Plastic Industry Co., Ltd., without the knowledge or consent of the named firms”.
After his scheme was uncovered, “Gaochong fled Mainland China on November 16, 2019, through the Shenzhen Bay port to Hong Kong, and in 2019, the Peixian Public Security Bureau issued an arrest warrant for him on July 9, 2020.
“He subsequently escaped to Burkina Faso before illegally entering Nigeria in 2021” Adejobi said.
The NPF disclosed that Gaochong deliberately failed to renew his international passport to conceal his identity while residing in Nigeria.
In response to a formal request from Chinese authorities, INTERPOL NCB Abuja initiated covert operations and traced Gaochong to Lagos, where he was arrested on Tuesday, June 24, 2025.
Following diplomatic procedures under international law enforcement cooperation, Nigerian police repatriated Gaochong and handed him over to Chinese authorities on Thursday, July 3, 2025.
The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, reaffirmed the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to ensuring that the country does not become a refuge for international fugitives.
“The Force remains committed to upholding global standards in transnational crime prevention and will continue to strengthen its collaboration with international law enforcement agencies to combat crime and criminality,” Egbetokun said.
Chinese Man On The Run For Six Years Caught In Lagos is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
