Customs Returns Stolen Luxury Vehicles To Canadian Officials

The Nigeria Customs Service has formally handed over a consignment of stolen luxury vehicles recovered in Nigeria to Canadian authorities, following a joint international enforcement operation aimed at dismantling transnational auto theft networks.

The handover 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 on behalf of the Canadian government.

The operation followed months of intelligence sharing between the Nigeria Customs Service and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police after Canadian authorities traced a series of stolen high-end vehicles believed to have been smuggled into Nigeria through international shipping routes.

According to Customs documentation, the intercepted vehicles include 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, all confirmed stolen before being shipped out of Canada.

Customs Area Controller at the Tin Can Island Command, Comptroller Frank Onyeka, explained that one of the vehicles, a Toyota Tacoma, was discovered hidden inside a container carrying other automobiles and was quickly isolated after intelligence alerts from Canadian authorities.

He said the Command placed the shipment under strict surveillance immediately after receiving official alerts, preventing the vehicle from leaving Customs control pending verification and diplomatic coordination.

“What appeared to be a routine cargo operation quickly developed into an international investigation. Once we received intelligence, we secured the consignment and ensured proper verification before release,” Onyeka said.

He added that the Service insisted on a direct handover to Canadian officials to preserve procedural integrity and strengthen trust between both countries.

The Nigeria Customs Service described the operation as part of its broader commitment to combating organised crime networks exploiting global shipping systems, while also strengthening Nigeria’s reputation in international cargo security and intelligence cooperation.