The Nigeria Customs Service has intercepted several luxury vehicles stolen from Canada and smuggled into Nigeria through the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos.
The recovered vehicles, including exotic brands such as Lamborghini, Rolls-Royce and Mercedes-Benz, were formally handed over to Canadian authorities during a ceremony held at the port on May 4, 2026.
The vehicles were received on behalf of the Canadian government by Nasser Salihou from the Customs Area Controller of the Tin Can Island Command, Frank Onyeka.
According to a statement issued by the National Public Relations Officer of the Customs Service, Abdullahi Maiwada, the recovery followed months of intelligence sharing and collaboration between Nigerian authorities and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
The statement explained that Canadian authorities had traced several luxury vehicles stolen in Canada and illegally shipped through international cargo channels before they surfaced in Nigeria.
Customs documents dated May 5 showed that the intercepted 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.
The service confirmed that all the vehicles had been stolen abroad before being smuggled into the country.
Speaking during the handover ceremony, Onyeka revealed that one of the vehicles, a Toyota Tacoma, had been concealed inside a container carrying other automobiles before it was intercepted by Customs officers.
“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 Customs officials immediately isolated the suspicious container after receiving intelligence reports and shipping documentation from Canada through diplomatic and enforcement channels.
According to him, the Nigeria Customs Service deliberately withheld the release of the vehicles until Canadian officials arrived in Nigeria to verify and recover them.
“We had people who wanted to step in on behalf of others, but this was too sensitive,” he said.
“We insisted the handover must be directly to the Canadian government to preserve the integrity of the process.”
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Onyeka described the interception as evidence of Nigeria’s growing capacity to combat international organised crime and cross-border vehicle theft syndicates.
He noted that criminal networks increasingly exploit global shipping routes to move stolen vehicles across continents while disguising them as legitimate cargo.
The Customs boss added that the successful operation highlighted improved cargo profiling, intelligence gathering and maritime enforcement by the service.
He further said the operation reflected strengthening security cooperation between Nigeria and Canada in tackling organised transnational crimes involving stolen assets and illicit trade.
The development comes amid rising global concerns over international vehicle theft syndicates using weak shipping and verification systems to smuggle luxury automobiles into emerging markets.
Tin Can Island Port remains one of Nigeria’s busiest gateways for imported vehicles and containerised cargo, processing thousands of shipments yearly.
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