The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has handed over a cache of stolen exotic vehicles traced to Canada, in a development that underscores Nigeria’s growing credibility in international anti-smuggling operations and cargo intelligence enforcement.
The handover ceremony, held at the Tin Can Island Port, Lagos, saw the Deputy High Commissioner of Canada to Nigeria, Nasser Salihou, receive the recovered vehicles from the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Frank Onyeka.
The operation followed sustained intelligence-sharing between the NCS and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), which had traced the stolen high-end vehicles to Nigeria through global shipping routes.
Among the recovered automobiles were luxury brands including Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Land Rover, Lamborghini, Rolls-Royce and Toyota models, all confirmed to have been stolen abroad and illegally exported into Nigeria.
Comptroller Onyeka disclosed that one of the vehicles was concealed within a container alongside other automobiles and had not exited Customs control before Canadian intelligence triggered swift enforcement action.
He explained that upon receiving the alert, officers immediately isolated the consignment, extracted the affected vehicle and placed it under strict enforcement custody pending diplomatic verification.
“What appeared to be a routine cargo movement quickly escalated into an international criminal investigation. Once intelligence reached us, we secured the consignment and ensured due process was followed,” Onyeka said.
He noted that the Service deliberately delayed releasing the vehicles until Canadian officials arrived physically to complete identification and recovery procedures, resisting attempts by unauthorised persons to intervene.
According to him, the development demonstrates the NCS’s resolve to dismantle transnational vehicle theft syndicates exploiting maritime trade routes.
The Customs boss further emphasised that the successful recovery reflects deepening cooperation between Nigeria and Canada in intelligence-sharing, cargo profiling and maritime security, particularly in tackling organised cross-border crimes involving stolen assets and illicit trade.
