The Nigeria Customs Service has formally handed over several intercepted stolen luxury vehicles traced to Canada, as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen international confidence in Nigeria’s anti-smuggling and cargo intelligence system.
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, Frank Onyeka.
The recovery followed months of intelligence sharing and operational collaboration between the Nigeria Customs Service and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, after Canadian authorities traced a number of stolen high-end vehicles believed to have been smuggled into Nigeria through international shipping channels.
According to an internal Customs document dated 5 May 2026, the intercepted vehicles included a Lexus RX350, Mercedes-Benz G550, Land Rover Range Rover, Lamborghini Huracán, Rolls-Royce Dawn Convertible, Lamborghini Aventador, and a Toyota Tundra, all confirmed to have been stolen and illegally exported before ending up in Nigeria.
Speaking shortly after the handover at the Tin Can Island Customs Area Command, Comptroller Onyeka disclosed that one of the vehicles, a Toyota Tacoma, was initially concealed inside a container carrying other vehicles and had not yet exited Customs control before intelligence from Canadian authorities triggered immediate intervention.
According to him, once the alert was received and shipping documentation transmitted through official channels, officers of the Command swiftly isolated the suspicious consignment, extracted the affected vehicle, and placed it under enforcement custody 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,” Comptroller Onyeka said.
He explained that the Service deliberately delayed the final release until officials of the Canadian government arrived in person to complete identification and recovery procedures.
“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 added.
Comptroller Onyeka reiterated that the operation demonstrated the resolve of the Nigeria Customs Service in combating transnational vehicle theft syndicates that exploit global shipping routes to move stolen automobiles across continents.
He further stated that the recovery highlighted the growing cooperation between Nigeria and Canada in intelligence sharing, cargo profiling, and maritime enforcement, particularly in tackling organised cross-border crimes involving stolen assets, illicit trade, and other fraudulent activities.
