The Nigeria Customs Service has transferred a fleet of recovered luxury vehicles linked to international auto theft operations to Canadian authorities after intercepting them at Tin Can Island Port in Lagos.
The handover ceremony took place on Monday, May 4, 2026, at the Lagos port facility, where the Deputy High Commissioner of Canada to Nigeria, Nasser Salihou, officially received the recovered automobiles from the Customs Area Controller of the Tin Can Island Command, Comptroller Frank Onyeka.
Among the recovered vehicles were several high-end models, including Rolls-Royce, Lamborghini, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, Land Rover and Toyota brands believed to have been stolen in Canada and illegally shipped into Nigeria through international cargo routes.
According to a statement issued on Sunday by the National Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Customs Service, Abdullahi Maiwada, the successful interception was the result of extensive collaboration between the Nigeria Customs Service and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
Investigations revealed that the vehicles had been stolen in Canada before being moved through international shipping channels and eventually traced to Nigeria.
Customs records dated May 5, 2026, identified the recovered vehicles as a 2019 Lexus RX350, a 2019 Mercedes-Benz G550, a 2023 Land Rover Range Rover, a 2019 Lamborghini Huracán, a 2021 Rolls-Royce Dawn Convertible, a 2018 Lamborghini Aventador and a 2026 Toyota Tundra.
The agency confirmed that all the vehicles were illegally exported after being stolen abroad.
The Customs statement said, “As part of ongoing efforts to strengthen international confidence in Nigeria’s anti-smuggling and cargo intelligence system, the Nigeria Customs Service has formally handed over intercepted stolen luxury vehicles traced to Canada.
“The handover ceremony took place on Monday, 4 May 2026, at the Tin Can Island Port, where the Deputy High Commissioner of Canada to Nigeria, Nasser Salihou, officially received the recovered vehicles from the Customs Area Controller of the Command, Comptroller Frank Onyeka.
“The recovery followed months of intelligence sharing and operational collaboration between the NCS and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, after authorities in Canada traced a number of stolen high-end vehicles believed to have been smuggled into Nigeria via international shipping channels.
“Internal Customs documents dated 5 May 2026 showed that the intercepted vehicles included a 2019 Lexus RX350, a 2019 Mercedes-Benz G550, a 2023 Land Rover Range Rover, a 2019 Lamborghini Huracán, a 2021 Rolls-Royce Dawn Convertible, a 2018 Lamborghini Aventador and a 2026 Toyota Tundra, all confirmed to have been stolen and illegally exported before ending up in Nigeria.”
During the event, Comptroller Onyeka disclosed that Customs officers uncovered one of the stolen vehicles, a Toyota Tacoma, hidden inside a container transporting other automobiles.
He explained that the shipment was still under Customs control when intelligence reports from Canadian authorities prompted officers to place it under close surveillance.
“What looked like a routine cargo movement quickly became an international criminal investigation.
“Once intelligence reached us, we placed the consignment under enforcement watch and secured the vehicle pending confirmation from Canadian authorities,” Onyeka said.
The Customs Area Controller stated that officers immediately isolated the container after receiving detailed shipping information and intelligence reports through diplomatic and enforcement channels from Canada.
According to him, the service deliberately withheld the release of the recovered vehicles until Canadian representatives arrived in Nigeria for proper verification and official transfer.
“We had people who wanted to step in on behalf of others, but this was too sensitive.
“We insisted the handover must be directly to the Canadian government to preserve the integrity of the process,” he said.
Onyeka described the operation as evidence of Nigeria’s improving ability to tackle organised international crime, especially vehicle theft and smuggling syndicates operating across continents.
He warned that criminal groups are increasingly exploiting global shipping systems to disguise stolen vehicles as legitimate cargo and move them between countries undetected.
The Customs boss added that the successful recovery underscored the agency’s growing investment in cargo profiling, intelligence gathering and maritime enforcement operations.
He further noted that the exercise highlighted the strengthening partnership between Nigerian and Canadian authorities in combating cross-border crimes involving stolen assets and illicit trade.
“The recovery has further revealed the ongoing cooperation between Nigeria and Canada in intelligence sharing, cargo profiling and maritime enforcement, particularly in tackling organised cross-border crimes involving stolen assets, illicit trade and other fraudulent activities,” he said.
The incident comes amid increasing global concern over sophisticated vehicle theft syndicates using weaknesses in international shipping systems to transport stolen luxury cars into developing markets.
Security analysts have warned that African ports are becoming attractive destinations for international car theft networks due to rising demand for exotic automobiles and inadequate verification processes in some regions.
Despite these concerns, Nigerian authorities maintain that recent upgrades in cargo intelligence and improved international cooperation are helping to tighten security and surveillance across the country’s seaports.
Tin Can Island Port remains one of Nigeria’s busiest hubs for imported vehicles and container traffic, processing thousands of shipments every year.
