The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has recovered seven luxury vehicles allegedly stolen from Canada and smuggled into Nigeria through the Tin Can Island Port.
According to Customs documents dated May 5, 2026, the recovered 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.
Customs authorities said investigations confirmed the vehicles were stolen in Canada before being illegally exported to Nigeria through international shipping networks.
The agency disclosed that the recovery followed intelligence sharing and joint operations between the NCS and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police aimed at tackling transnational organised crime and vehicle smuggling.
Speaking during the handover ceremony to Canada’s Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria, Nasser Salihou, the Customs Area Controller of Tin Can Island Command, Frank Onyeka, said the operation began after Canadian authorities traced several stolen vehicles believed to have been shipped into Nigeria.
Onyeka revealed that one of the vehicles, a Toyota Tacoma, was hidden inside a container carrying other vehicles and was intercepted before it could leave Customs custody.
“What appeared to be a routine cargo movement quickly developed into 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 explained that Customs officers moved swiftly after receiving intelligence alerts and shipping documents from Canada, isolating the suspicious consignment and placing it under strict enforcement control.
According to Onyeka, the Service declined to release the vehicles until Canadian officials arrived in person to complete the verification and recovery process.
“We had individuals attempting to intervene on behalf of others, but the matter was too sensitive. We insisted the handover must be made directly to the Canadian government to maintain the integrity of the process,” he added.
