Customs Hands Over Stolen Canadian Vehicles Intercepted at Tin Can Port

JOEL OLADELE, Abuja

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has handed over several luxury vehicles stolen from Canada and smuggled into Nigeria, in what officials described as a major breakthrough in international anti-smuggling cooperation and cargo intelligence enforcement.

The vehicles were formally returned to Canadian authorities during a ceremony held on Monday at the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos, where the Deputy High Commissioner of Canada to Nigeria, Nasser Salihou, received the recovered automobiles from the Customs Area Controller of the Tin Can Island Command, Frank Onyeka.

The recovery followed months of intelligence exchange and operational collaboration between the Nigeria Customs Service and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police after Canadian authorities traced a number of stolen luxury vehicles allegedly smuggled into Nigeria through international shipping routes.

According to an internal Customs document dated May 5, 2026, 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.

Authorities confirmed that all the vehicles had been stolen in Canada before being illegally exported and eventually shipped to Nigeria.

Speaking during the handover ceremony, Comptroller Onyeka disclosed that one of the vehicles, a Toyota Tacoma, was concealed inside a container carrying other automobiles and had not exited Customs control when intelligence from Canadian authorities prompted immediate intervention.

He explained that once the alert and shipping documentation were received through official diplomatic and security channels, officers at the Tin Can Island Command swiftly isolated the consignment and placed the vehicle under enforcement custody pending further 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.

The Customs boss stated that the Service deliberately withheld final release of the vehicles until representatives of the Canadian government 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.

Officials said the operation underscored the growing collaboration between Nigeria and Canada in tackling transnational crimes linked to vehicle theft, illicit trade and international cargo fraud.

Customs authorities noted that criminal syndicates increasingly exploit global shipping networks to move stolen vehicles and other prohibited items across continents, making intelligence sharing and coordinated enforcement critical to disrupting such operations.

Onyeka maintained that the successful interception demonstrated the Nigeria Customs Service’s commitment to combating organised smuggling networks and strengthening cargo profiling mechanisms at the nation’s ports.

He further stressed that the development would boost international confidence in Nigeria’s maritime enforcement system and reinforce ongoing efforts to tighten surveillance around imported consignments entering the country.

The handover also highlighted the increasing role of technology-driven intelligence gathering and international cooperation in modern Customs operations, especially in tracking suspicious shipments linked to organised criminal activities.

Industry observers believe the latest interception may trigger deeper scrutiny of vehicle import documentation and shipping manifests at Nigerian ports as authorities intensify efforts to prevent the country from becoming a transit destination for stolen automobiles.