Car Theft: How Nigeria Customs returns stolen Rolls-Royce, Lamborghini, others to Canadian authorities

*The Nigeria Customs Service says the latest recovery of the stolen vehicles followed months of intelligence sharing and coordinated operations between it and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

As part of measures to strengthen international cooperation against transnational crimes, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted and handed over several stolen luxury vehicles hitherto smuggled into Nigeria from Canada, in North America.

ConsumerConnect gathered the NCS leadership, represented by Frank Onyeka, Customs Area Comptroller, handed over the recovered automobiles at Tin Can Island Port, in Lagos State, to Nasser Salihou, Canadian Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria.

DStv struggles as South African consumers bid pay-TV brand goodbye

The recovery of the vehicles followed months of intelligence sharing and coordinated operations between the NCS and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).

Details of intercepted and recovered stolen vehicles, by NCS

The Nigeria Customs noted the successful recovery of the stolen vehicles followed investigations by Canadian authorities, indicating that stolen exotic vehicles had been shipped to Nigeria through international cargo routes.

Documents dated May 5, 2026, as well showed that the intercepted vehicles include 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 confirmed to have been stolen and illegally exported before arriving in the country.

At the handover, Comptroller Onyeka reportedly revealed that one of the vehicles, a Toyota Tacoma, was concealed inside a container carrying other vehicles, and had not exited Customs control before intelligence from Canadian authorities prompted swift intervention in Lagos.

According to him, upon receiving the alert and relevant shipping documents through official channels, officers immediately isolated the consignment, extracted the said vehicle, and placed it under enforcement custody pending diplomatic verification.

The Customs Area Comptroller further stated: “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 explained the Nigeria Customs Service deliberately delayed the release of the vehicles until Canadian officials arrived to complete identification and recovery procedures.

That was to maintain the integrity of the process, said he.

The Area Comptroller also said: “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.”

Onyeka noted that the operation underscores the Service’s resolve to combat transnational vehicle theft syndicates exploiting global shipping routes.

The recovery, he stated, highlighted growing cooperation between Nigeria and Canada in intelligence sharing, cargo profiling and maritime enforcement, particularly in tackling organised cross-border crimes involving stolen assets and illicit trade.

Kindly Share This Story