Anti-Smuggling: Customs Hands Over Intercepted Stolen Luxury Vehicles to Canadian Envoy
In a move aimed at reinforcing global confidence in Nigeria’s cargo intelligence and anti-smuggling framework, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has officially handed over a number of intercepted stolen luxury vehicles traced to Canada.
The handover ceremony was held on Monday, 4 May 2026, at the Tin Can Island Port, where the Deputy High Commissioner of Canada to Nigeria, Nasser Salihou, received the recovered vehicles from the Customs Area Controller of the Command, Comptroller Frank Onyeka.
The recovery followed months of intelligence exchange and coordinated operations between the NCS and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), after Canadian authorities identified several stolen luxury vehicles believed to have been illegally shipped into Nigeria through international cargo routes.
According to an internal Customs document dated 5 May 2026, the recovered vehicles included 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 were confirmed to have been stolen in Canada and unlawfully exported before arriving in Nigeria.
Speaking after the handover at the Tin Can Island Customs Area Command, Comptroller Onyeka revealed that one of the vehicles, a Toyota Tacoma, had been concealed inside a container transporting other automobiles and was still under Customs control when intelligence from Canadian authorities prompted immediate action.
He explained that upon receiving the alert and accompanying shipping documents through official channels, officers swiftly isolated the container, identified the suspect vehicle and placed it under enforcement custody pending diplomatic confirmation.
“What initially appeared to be a routine cargo shipment quickly evolved into an international criminal investigation. Once the intelligence was received, we immediately placed the consignment under surveillance and secured the vehicle awaiting confirmation from Canadian authorities,” Onyeka stated.
He added that the Service intentionally withheld final release of the vehicles until Canadian officials arrived personally to complete the identification and recovery process.
“We had individuals attempting to intervene on behalf of others, but given the sensitivity of the matter, we insisted that the handover be made directly to representatives of the Canadian government to maintain the credibility of the process,” he said.
Comptroller Onyeka noted that the operation underscored the Nigeria Customs Service’s resolve in combating transnational vehicle theft syndicates that exploit global shipping networks to traffic stolen vehicles across borders.
He further stated that the recovery reflects the growing collaboration between Nigeria and Canada in intelligence sharing, cargo profiling and maritime enforcement, especially in addressing organised cross-border crimes involving stolen property, illicit trade and related fraudulent activities.
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