The Nigeria Customs Service has intercepted and recovered several luxury vehicles stolen from Canada and smuggled into Nigeria through the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos.
The recovered vehicles were officially handed over to Canadian authorities during a ceremony held at the port, marking a major breakthrough in the fight against international vehicle theft and smuggling.
Among the exotic vehicles recovered were Lamborghini, Rolls-Royce, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, Land Rover, and Toyota models believed to have been stolen abroad before being illegally shipped into Nigeria.
The Deputy High Commissioner of Canada to Nigeria, Nasser Salihou, received the vehicles from the Customs Area Controller of the Tin Can Island Command, Comptroller Frank Onyeka.
According to the Nigeria Customs Service, the operation followed months of intelligence sharing and collaboration between Nigerian authorities and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
Customs officials revealed that Canadian investigators tracked the stolen vehicles through international shipping routes before they were eventually discovered in Nigeria.
The intercepted vehicles included a 2019 Lexus RX350, a 2019 Mercedes-Benz G550, a 2023 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 illegally exported from Canada before ending up in Nigeria.
Speaking during the handover ceremony, Comptroller Onyeka disclosed that one of the vehicles was cleverly hidden inside a shipping container carrying other automobiles.
He explained that customs officers immediately placed the shipment under surveillance after receiving intelligence reports from Canadian authorities.
According to him, the vehicles remained in Customs custody until Canadian officials arrived in Nigeria to verify and recover them.
Onyeka described the interception as proof of Nigeria’s growing efforts to tackle organised international crime and strengthen cargo monitoring at the nation’s seaports.
He noted that criminal syndicates now rely heavily on global shipping networks to move stolen luxury vehicles across countries while disguising them as legitimate cargo.
The Customs boss added that the successful operation reflected the strong security cooperation between Nigeria and Canada in fighting cross-border crimes, illicit trade, and vehicle theft.
Security experts have repeatedly warned that African ports are becoming targets for international car theft syndicates because of the rising demand for luxury vehicles.
However, Nigerian authorities insist that recent improvements in intelligence gathering and cargo profiling are helping to tighten security at the country’s major seaports.
Tin Can Island Port remains one of Nigeria’s busiest ports for imported vehicles and container shipments.
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