Joyce Mmereole Okoli
Nigeria has once again strengthened its reputation as a reliable partner in global security and cross-border crime prevention as the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) formally handed over a cache of intercepted stolen luxury vehicles traced to Canada.
The handover ceremony, held on Monday, 4 May 2026, at the Tin Can Island Port, saw the Deputy High Commissioner of Canada to Nigeria, Nasser Salihou, receive the recovered vehicles from the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Frank Onyeka.
The recovery was the outcome of months of intelligence exchange and coordinated operations between the NCS and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), following reports from Canadian authorities that several high-end vehicles stolen in Canada had been illicitly shipped to Nigeria.
According to an internal Customs report dated 5 May 2026, the seized vehicles include:
• 2019 Lexus RX350
• 2019 Mercedes-Benz G550
• 2023 Land Rover Range Rover
• 2019 Lamborghini Huracán
• 2021 Rolls-Royce Dawn Convertible
• 2018 Lamborghini Aventador
• 2026 Toyota Tundra
All were confirmed stolen and illegally exported before being traced to Nigeria through joint intelligence efforts.
Speaking during the handover at the Tin Can Island Customs Command, Comptroller Onyeka revealed that one of the vehicles, a Toyota Tacoma, was detected while still concealed inside a container already loaded with other vehicles.
“The Tacoma had not yet exited Customs control when intelligence from our Canadian counterparts arrived,” he explained. “Once the alert was received, our officers swiftly isolated the container, extracted the vehicle, and placed it under enforcement custody pending diplomatic verification.”
Comptroller Onyeka noted that what initially appeared to be regular cargo movement quickly evolved into a high-stakes international criminal investigation.
“Once intelligence reached us, we immediately placed the consignment under enforcement watch. We secured the vehicle and waited for confirmation from the Canadian authorities,” he said.
He added that the Service intentionally delayed releasing the vehicles until Canadian officials arrived to conduct the final physical identification.
“We had individuals who attempted to intervene on behalf of others, but we maintained that only the Canadian government could take custody of these vehicles. The integrity of the process could not be compromised.”
Comptroller Onyeka stressed that the successful recovery demonstrates the Nigeria Customs Service’s strengthened capacity to combat sophisticated transnational vehicle-theft syndicates exploiting global shipping routes.
He further highlighted the operation as a testament to deepening cooperation between Nigeria and Canada in intelligence sharing, cargo profiling, and maritime enforcement, especially in countering organised crime networks involved in stolen assets, illicit trade, and related cross-border fraud.