The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has handed over several stolen luxury vehicles traced to Canada after intercepting them at the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos, in what officials described as a significant breakthrough against transnational vehicle trafficking syndicates.
The recovered vehicles including high-end brands such as Lamborghini, Rolls-Royce, Mercedes-Benz, and Land Rover were formally transferred to Canadian authorities on Monday, May 4, 2026, during a handover ceremony held at the Tin Can Island Port.
The Deputy High Commissioner of Canada to Nigeria, Nasser Salihou, received the vehicles on behalf of the Canadian government from the Customs Area Controller of Tin Can Island Command, Comptroller Frank Onyeka.
According to a statement issued on Sunday by the National Public Relations Officer of the NCS, Abdullahi Maiwada, the operation followed months of intelligence sharing between Nigerian authorities and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).
The statement said Canadian investigators had tracked multiple stolen luxury vehicles exported through international shipping networks before their trail led to Nigeria.
Internal Customs documents dated May 5, 2026, listed the intercepted vehicles as a 2019 Lexus RX350, 2019 Mercedes-Benz G550, 2023 Range Rover, 2019 Lamborghini Huracán, 2021 Rolls-Royce Dawn Convertible, 2018 Lamborghini Aventador, and a 2026 Toyota Tundra. Officials confirmed that all the vehicles had been stolen abroad and smuggled into Nigeria through illicit cargo channels.
The statement read in part: “As part of ongoing efforts to strengthen international confidence in Nigeria’s anti-smuggling and cargo intelligence system, the Nigeria Customs Service has formally handed over intercepted stolen luxury vehicles traced to Canada.
“The handover ceremony took place on Monday, 4 May 2026, at the Tin Can Island Port, where the Deputy High Commissioner of Canada to Nigeria, Nasser Salihou, officially received the recovered vehicles from the Customs Area Controller of the Command, Comptroller Frank Onyeka.
“The recovery followed months of intelligence sharing and operational collaboration between the NCS and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, after authorities in Canada traced a number of stolen high-end vehicles believed to have been smuggled into Nigeria via international shipping channels.”
The statement further confirmed that all listed vehicles were verified as stolen and illegally exported before being tracked to Nigeria.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, Comptroller Onyeka disclosed that one of the vehicles — a Toyota Tacoma — was concealed inside a container alongside other automobiles before it was intercepted by Customs officers.
He said the container was still within Customs control when intelligence from Canadian authorities triggered immediate enforcement action.
“What looked like a routine cargo movement quickly became an international criminal investigation,” Onyeka said. “Once intelligence reached us, we placed the consignment under enforcement watch and secured the vehicle pending confirmation from Canadian authorities.”
He explained that officers isolated the container after reviewing shipping documents and receiving intelligence alerts through official diplomatic and enforcement channels.
Onyeka added that the Customs Service deliberately withheld release of the shipment until Canadian officials arrived in Nigeria to verify and take custody of the recovered assets.
“We had people who wanted 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 said.
He described the operation as a strong indication of Nigeria’s growing capacity to combat organised transnational crime and illicit vehicle trafficking.
According to him, criminal networks increasingly exploit global shipping routes to move stolen luxury vehicles across borders while disguising them as legitimate cargo.
Onyeka also noted that the operation reflects strengthened collaboration between Nigeria and Canada in intelligence sharing, cargo profiling, and maritime enforcement.
“The recovery has further revealed the ongoing cooperation between Nigeria and Canada in intelligence sharing, cargo profiling and maritime enforcement, particularly in tackling organised cross-border crimes involving stolen assets and illicit trade,” he said.
The development highlights growing international concern over sophisticated vehicle theft syndicates that use global logistics networks to move stolen high-value cars into foreign markets.
Security analysts say African ports have increasingly become transit points for such operations, driven by demand for luxury vehicles and gaps in verification systems in some jurisdictions.
However, Nigerian authorities maintain that recent improvements in cargo monitoring, intelligence coordination, and international partnerships are strengthening enforcement at major ports, including the Tin Can Island Port — one of the country’s busiest vehicle import hubs.
