The Nigeria Customs Service has handed over several stolen luxury vehicles traced to after Canadaintercepting them at the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos, in what officials described as a significant breakthrough against transnational vehicle theft syndicates.
The recovered vehicles, which include high-end brands such as Lamborghini, Rolls-Royce and Mercedes-Benz, were formally transferred to Canadian authorities during a ceremony held at the port on Monday, May 4, 2026.
The Deputy High Commissioner of Canada to Nigeria, Nasser Salihou, received the vehicles on behalf of the Canadian government from the Customs Area Controller of the Tin Can Island Command, Frank Onyeka.
According to a statement by the National Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Customs Service, Abdullahi Maiwada, the operation followed months of intelligence sharing between Nigerian authorities and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
Canadian authorities reportedly traced several stolen luxury vehicles that were illegally exported through international shipping networks before eventually arriving in Nigeria.
Internal customs records showed that the intercepted vehicles included a 2019 Lexus RX350, 2019 Mercedes-Benz G550, 2023 Range Rover, 2019 Lamborghini Huracán, 2021 Rolls-Royce Dawn Convertible, 2018 Lamborghini Aventador, and a 2026 Toyota Tundra.
The Customs Service confirmed that all the vehicles were stolen abroad before being smuggled into Nigeria through shipping channels.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, Onyeka revealed that one of the vehicles, a Toyota Tacoma, had been hidden inside a container alongside other automobiles before it was discovered and intercepted by officers.
He said the suspicious shipment was placed under surveillance after intelligence from Canadian authorities alerted Nigerian Customs officials.
“What looked like a routine cargo movement quickly became an international criminal investigation,” Onyeka said.
“Once intelligence reached us, we placed the consignment under enforcement watch and secured the vehicle pending confirmation from Canadian authorities.”
He added that the agency delayed releasing the vehicles until Canadian officials arrived in Nigeria to verify and reclaim them, in order to maintain transparency and procedural integrity.
“We insisted the handover must be directly to the Canadian government to preserve the integrity of the process,” he explained.
The Customs boss described the operation as evidence of Nigeria’s growing capacity to combat international organised crime networks involved in vehicle theft and smuggling.
He noted that criminal syndicates are increasingly exploiting global shipping routes to move stolen luxury vehicles across borders under false documentation.
According to him, the operation highlights improved cooperation between Nigeria and Canada in areas such as intelligence sharing, cargo profiling and maritime enforcement.
Security analysts say international ports, including those in Africa, are increasingly being targeted by vehicle theft networks due to demand for luxury cars and vulnerabilities in global logistics systems.
However, Nigerian authorities maintain that enhanced intelligence systems and stronger international partnerships are improving detection and interception of illicit shipments.
The Tin Can Island Port in Lagos remains one of the country’s busiest maritime entry points, handling large volumes of imported vehicles and containerised cargo annually.
The latest interception is being seen as part of broader efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s role in global anti-smuggling enforcement and transnational crime prevention.
