Customs hands over stolen Rolls-Royce, Lamborghini, others smuggled from Canada
By Godwin Oritse
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted and handed over several stolen luxury vehicles smuggled into Nigeria from Canada, in a move aimed at strengthening international cooperation against transnational crime.
The vehicles were handed over at Tin Can Island Port to Canada’s Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria, Nasser Salihou, by the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Frank Onyeka.
The recovery followed months of intelligence sharing and coordinated operations between the NCS and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), after investigations by Canadian authorities revealed that stolen exotic vehicles had been shipped to Nigeria through international cargo routes.
Documents dated May 5, 2026, showed that the intercepted vehicles include 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, all confirmed to have been stolen and illegally exported before arriving in the country.
Speaking at the handover, Comptroller Onyeka disclosed that one of the vehicles, a Toyota Tacoma, was concealed inside a container carrying other vehicles and had not exited Customs control before intelligence from Canadian authorities prompted swift intervention.
He said upon receiving the alert and relevant shipping documents through official channels, officers immediately isolated the consignment, extracted the vehicle and placed it under enforcement custody pending diplomatic 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 delayed the release of the vehicles until Canadian officials arrived to complete identification and recovery procedures, stressing the need to maintain the integrity of the 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,” he said.
Onyeka noted that the operation underscores the Service’s resolve to combat transnational vehicle theft syndicates exploiting global shipping routes.
He also said the recovery highlights growing cooperation between Nigeria and Canada in intelligence sharing, cargo profiling and maritime enforcement, particularly in tackling organised cross-border crimes involving stolen assets and illicit trade.
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