By George Ozalla
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has handed over a set of intercepted stolen luxury vehicles traced to Canada, in a coordinated operation that underscores growing international collaboration in combating transnational vehicle theft and smuggling networks.
The handover ceremony took place on Monday, 4 May 2026, at the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos, where the Deputy High Commissioner of Canada to Nigeria, Nasser Salihou, received the recovered vehicles from the Customs Area Controller of the Command, Comptroller Frank Onyeka.
The recovery followed months of intelligence exchange between the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, after Canadian authorities traced a series of stolen high end vehicles believed to have been shipped illegally into Nigeria through international cargo routes.
Internal Customs records dated 5 May 2026 indicated that the recovered vehicles include a 2019 Lexus RX350, 2019 Mercedes-Benz G550, 2023 Land Rover Range Rover, 2019 Lamborghini Huracán, 2021 Rolls-Royce Dawn Convertible, 2018 Lamborghini Aventador, and a 2026 Toyota Tundra, all confirmed to have been stolen and exported before arriving in Nigeria.
Speaking after the handover at the Tin Can Island Customs Area Command, Comptroller Frank Onyeka said one of the vehicles, a Toyota Tacoma, was discovered after being concealed inside a container alongside other vehicles, but was intercepted before leaving Customs control following intelligence alert from Canadian authorities.
He explained that once the alert was received and shipping documents were transmitted through official channels, officers immediately placed the consignment under surveillance, isolated the suspicious container, and secured the vehicle for enforcement action pending diplomatic verification.
“What looked like a routine cargo movement quickly became an international criminal investigation. Once intelligence reached us, we placed the consignment under enforcement watch and secured the vehicle pending confirmation from Canadian authorities,” Onyeka said.
He added that the Service deliberately withheld final release of the consignment until representatives of the Canadian government arrived in person for proper identification and formal recovery procedures.
“We had individuals who attempted to step in on behalf of others, but this was too sensitive. We insisted the handover must be directly to the Canadian government to preserve the integrity of the process,” he further stated.
Comptroller Onyeka said the operation reflects the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS)’s strengthened capacity in disrupting transnational vehicle theft syndicates that exploit global shipping networks to move stolen assets across borders.
He also noted that the development highlights expanding cooperation between Nigeria and Canada in intelligence sharing, cargo profiling, and maritime enforcement, particularly in addressing organised cross border crimes involving stolen vehicles and illicit trade.
