The Nigeria Customs Service has transferred a number of stolen luxury vehicles traced to Canada after intercepting them at the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos, marking what authorities described as a significant success in the fight against international vehicle theft syndicates.
The recovered automobiles, including high-end brands such as Lamborghini, Rolls-Royce and Mercedes-Benz, were officially handed over to Canadian officials during a ceremony held at the port on Monday, May 4, 2026.
The vehicles were received by the Deputy High Commissioner of Canada to Nigeria, Nasser Salihou, from the Customs Area Controller of the Tin Can Island Command, Comptroller Frank Onyeka.
In a statement released on Sunday, the National Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Customs Service, Abdullahi Maiwada, explained that the operation was made possible through months of intelligence collaboration between Nigerian authorities and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
According to the statement, Canadian investigators had tracked several luxury vehicles stolen in Canada and illegally moved through international shipping channels before they were eventually discovered in Nigeria.
Customs records dated May 5, 2026, revealed that the recovered 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.
The service confirmed that all the automobiles had been stolen overseas and smuggled into Nigeria.
The statement read, “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.”
Speaking at the handover event, Onyeka disclosed that one of the recovered vehicles, a Toyota Tacoma, had been hidden inside a container transporting other automobiles before Customs officers intercepted it.
He explained that the consignment was still under Customs control when intelligence from Canadian authorities prompted immediate action.
“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 comptroller stated that Customs officials quickly isolated the container after receiving intelligence reports and shipping documents from Canada through diplomatic and enforcement channels.
He further noted that the Nigeria Customs Service intentionally withheld the release of the vehicles until Canadian representatives arrived in the country to confirm and retrieve them personally.
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“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 interception as evidence of Nigeria’s improving capacity to tackle organised international crime and the trafficking of stolen vehicles.
According to him, criminal groups now increasingly rely on global shipping routes to transport stolen automobiles across countries while disguising them as legitimate cargo.
He added that the successful operation underscored the Nigeria Customs Service’s commitment to improving cargo profiling, intelligence operations and maritime security enforcement.
The comptroller also highlighted the growing partnership between Nigeria and Canada in addressing organised cross-border crimes.
“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 international concern over sophisticated vehicle theft syndicates exploiting gaps in global shipping systems to move stolen luxury cars into developing markets.
Security analysts have warned that African ports are becoming attractive destinations for international car theft networks due to strong demand for exotic automobiles and weak verification procedures in certain regions.
Despite this, Nigerian authorities maintain that recent upgrades in cargo intelligence and international cooperation are improving monitoring and enforcement activities at the nation’s seaports.
Tin Can Island Port remains one of the country’s busiest gateways for imported vehicles and container cargo, processing thousands of shipments every year.