The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has formally handed over a consignment of stolen luxury vehicles to Canada’s Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria, Nasser Salihou, in a move to bolster international confidence in the country’s anti-smuggling and cargo intelligence systems.
The recovered fleet includes 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.
All the vehicles were confirmed stolen and illegally exported before arriving in Nigeria, according to NCS spokesperson Abdullahi Maiwada, who issued a statement on Sunday.
The handover took place at Tin Can Island Port, led by Customs Area Controller Frank Onyeka, following months of intelligence-sharing and joint operations between the NCS and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
Maiwada explained that Canadian authorities had traced several high-end vehicles smuggled into Nigeria via international shipping routes. One vehicle – a Toyota Tacoma – was initially concealed inside a container with other cars and intercepted before leaving Customs control, thanks to intelligence from Canada.
Onyeka noted that officers acted swiftly once shipping documents were transmitted through official channels, isolating the suspicious consignment and placing it under enforcement custody pending diplomatic verification.
“What looked like routine cargo movement quickly became an international criminal investigation,” Onyeka said. “We insisted the handover must be directly to the Canadian government to preserve the integrity of the process.”
The operation underscores the NCS’s commitment to dismantling transnational vehicle theft syndicates that exploit global shipping routes. It also highlights growing Nigeria-Canada cooperation in intelligence sharing, cargo profiling, and maritime enforcement against organised cross-border crime.
