RismadarVoice Reporters, May 10, 2026
The Nigeria Customs Service has handed over several intercepted stolen luxury vehicles, including a Lamborghini Huracán and a Rolls-Royce Dawn Convertible, to Canadian authorities in a move aimed at strengthening international cooperation against transnational vehicle theft and smuggling.
The handover ceremony was held recently, at the Tin Can Island Port, where the Deputy High Commissioner of Canada to Nigeria, Nasser Salihou, officially received the vehicles from the Customs Area Controller of the command, Comptroller Frank Onyeka.
The recovery followed months of intelligence sharing and operational collaboration between the Nigeria Customs Service and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police after Canadian authorities traced some stolen vehicles believed to have been smuggled into Nigeria through international shipping routes.
According to internal Customs documents dated May 5, 2026, the recovered 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.
The vehicles were reportedly confirmed stolen before being illegally exported and shipped into Nigeria.
Speaking during the handover, Comptroller Onyeka disclosed that one of the vehicles, a Toyota Tacoma, had been concealed inside a container carrying other automobiles and was intercepted before leaving Customs control.
He explained that intelligence received from Canadian authorities prompted officers to isolate the consignment and place the vehicle under enforcement custody pending 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.
He added that the Service deliberately delayed the release of the vehicles until Canadian officials arrived to complete the identification and recovery process.
“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 stated.
The Customs Area Controller said the operation demonstrated the agency’s resolve to combat transnational vehicle theft syndicates exploiting global shipping channels to move stolen automobiles across borders.
He also noted that the successful recovery underscored growing cooperation between Nigeria and Canada in intelligence sharing, cargo profiling and maritime enforcement aimed at tackling organised cross-border crimes and illicit trade.
