By: Goodluck E.Adubazi, Abuja.

In a major boost to Nigeria’s international anti-smuggling reputation, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has formally handed over a cache of stolen luxury vehicles traced to Canada, following months of intelligence-driven operations and collaboration with Canadian law enforcement authorities.

The handover ceremony was held on Monday, May 4, 2026, at the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos, where the Deputy High Commissioner of Canada to Nigeria, Nasser Salihou, received the recovered vehicles from the Customs Area Controller of the Tin Can Island Command, Comptroller Frank Onyeka.

The recovered automobiles, believed to have been smuggled into Nigeria through international shipping channels, were intercepted after intelligence exchanges between the NCS and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police exposed an international vehicle theft network operating across continents.

An internal Customs document dated May 5, 2026, listed the intercepted vehicles as 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.

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

Speaking during the handover ceremony, Comptroller Onyeka revealed that one of the vehicles — a Toyota Tacoma — had been secretly concealed inside a container transporting other automobiles and was intercepted before it could leave Customs custody.

According to him, swift action was taken immediately when Canadian authorities transmitted intelligence and shipping documentation through official diplomatic and security channels.
“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 disclosed that the Nigeria Customs Service resisted attempts by third parties to intervene in the recovery process, insisting that the vehicles would only be released directly to Canadian government representatives.

“We had people who wanted to step in on behalf of others, but this was too sensitive,” he stated. “We insisted the handover must be directly to the Canadian government to preserve the integrity of the process.”

The Customs boss described the operation as a strong signal of Nigeria’s commitment to combating transnational organised crime, particularly vehicle theft syndicates that exploit global shipping routes to traffic stolen automobiles.

He added that the successful recovery further strengthened bilateral cooperation between Nigeria and Canada in intelligence sharing, cargo profiling, maritime enforcement, and the fight against illicit trade and cross-border criminal activities.

Security analysts say the development could improve global confidence in Nigeria’s cargo monitoring and port enforcement systems, amid increasing international concerns over organised smuggling networks operating through major seaports.