The Nigeria Customs Service has intercepted and handed over several stolen luxury vehicles smuggled into Nigeria from Canada in a major operation targeting transnational organised crime.
The vehicles were officially handed over at Tin Can Island Port to Canada’s Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria, Nasser Salihou, by the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Frank Onyeka.
The recovery followed months of intelligence sharing and collaboration between the Nigeria Customs Service and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police after Canadian investigators traced a number of stolen exotic vehicles to shipments destined for Nigeria.
According to Customs documents dated May 5, 2026, 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.
Authorities confirmed that all the vehicles had been reported stolen in Canada before being illegally exported into Nigeria through international shipping routes.
Speaking during the handover ceremony, Comptroller Onyeka revealed that one of the recovered vehicles, a Toyota Tacoma, had been hidden inside a container carrying other vehicles.
He explained that the vehicle was intercepted before leaving Customs control after intelligence alerts from Canadian authorities prompted immediate action.
According to him, Customs officers quickly isolated the shipment, extracted the suspicious vehicle and placed it under enforcement custody pending diplomatic confirmation from Canada.
Onyeka stated that what initially appeared to be a normal cargo movement later developed into an international criminal investigation following intelligence reports received through official channels.
He also disclosed that several individuals attempted to intervene during the investigation, but the Service insisted that the process remain strictly between Nigerian and Canadian authorities to preserve the integrity of the operation.
The Customs boss noted that the successful interception demonstrates the agency’s commitment to tackling transnational vehicle theft syndicates using global shipping networks to move stolen assets across borders.
He added that the operation further strengthens cooperation between Nigeria and Canada in the areas of intelligence sharing, cargo profiling and maritime security enforcement.
The Nigeria Customs Service said the operation forms part of broader efforts to combat illicit trade, organised crime and the illegal movement of stolen property through Nigerian ports.
