The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted seven stolen luxury vehicles that were smuggled from Canada through the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos. The recovery was announced in a statement made available to journalists on Monday.
Details of the Intercepted Vehicles
An internal Customs document dated May 5, 2026, revealed 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. These vehicles were confirmed to have been stolen and illegally exported from Canada before being shipped to Nigeria.
Intelligence-Led Operation
The Customs Area Controller (CAC) of the Tin Can Island Command, Mr Frank Onyeka, disclosed the details while handing over the vehicles to the Deputy High Commissioner of Canada to Nigeria, Mr Nasser Salihou. According to Onyeka, the recovery followed months of intelligence sharing and operational collaboration between the NCS and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Canadian authorities had traced several stolen high-end vehicles believed to have been smuggled into Nigeria through international shipping channels.
One of the vehicles, a Toyota Tacoma, was concealed inside a container carrying other vehicles and had not yet exited Customs control before intelligence from Canadian authorities triggered immediate intervention. Once the alert was received and shipping documentation transmitted through official channels, officers of the command swiftly isolated the suspicious consignment, extracted the affected vehicle, and placed it under enforcement custody pending diplomatic verification.
“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.
Handover to Canadian Officials
Onyeka explained that the service deliberately delayed the final release of the vehicles until Canadian government officials arrived personally to complete identification and recovery procedures. “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 added.
Commitment to Combating Transnational Crime
The CAC said the operation underscored the NCS’s commitment to combating transnational vehicle theft syndicates that exploit global shipping routes to move stolen automobiles across continents. He added that the recovery further highlighted the growing 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.
