The Nigeria Customs Service has intercepted and handed over several stolen luxury vehicles smuggled from Canada into Nigeria through the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos, in what authorities described as a major breakthrough against international vehicle theft and smuggling networks.
The vehicles, which included high-end brands such as Rolls-Royce, Lamborghini, Mercedes-Benz, Land Rover, Lexus and Toyota, were formally handed over to Canadian officials during a ceremony held at the Tin Can Island Port on Monday, May 4, 2026.
The Deputy High Commissioner of Canada to Nigeria, Nasser Salihou, received the vehicles from the Customs Area Controller of the Tin Can Island Command, Frank Onyeka.
According to the Nigeria Customs Service, the operation followed months of intelligence sharing and joint investigations between Nigerian authorities and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police after Canadian officials traced several luxury vehicles stolen in Canada and illegally shipped to Nigeria through international cargo routes.
Customs documents dated May 5, 2026, showed that the recovered vehicles included a 2019 Lexus RX350, a 2019 Mercedes-Benz G550, a 2023 Land Rover Range Rover, a 2019 Lamborghini Huracán, a 2021 Rolls-Royce Dawn Convertible, a 2018 Lamborghini Aventador and a 2026 Toyota Tundra.
Officials confirmed that all the vehicles had been stolen abroad before being smuggled into Nigeria.
The National Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Customs Service, Abdullahi Maiwada, said the successful operation highlighted Nigeria’s growing capacity to fight transnational crime and strengthen confidence in the country’s cargo monitoring system.
He explained that the interception was made possible through close cooperation between security agencies in both countries and the use of intelligence-driven cargo profiling.
“As part of ongoing efforts to strengthen international confidence in Nigeria’s anti-smuggling and cargo intelligence system, the Nigeria Customs Service has formally handed over intercepted stolen luxury vehicles traced to Canada,” the statement said.
Speaking during the handover ceremony, Comptroller Onyeka disclosed that one of the vehicles, a Toyota Tacoma, had been secretly hidden inside a container carrying other automobiles before Customs officers uncovered it.
According to him, the container had already arrived at the port but had not yet left Customs custody when intelligence from Canada alerted Nigerian officials to the suspicious shipment.
“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 explained that Customs officers immediately isolated the affected container after receiving shipping records and intelligence reports from Canadian authorities through diplomatic and enforcement channels.
The Customs boss added that the Nigeria Customs Service intentionally delayed the release of the vehicles until Canadian officials arrived in Nigeria to physically identify and recover them.
According to Onyeka, there were attempts by some individuals to intervene in the process, but Customs insisted on dealing directly with the Canadian government to ensure transparency and credibility.
“We had people who wanted to step in on behalf of others, but this was too sensitive,” he said.
“We insisted the handover must be directly to the Canadian government to preserve the integrity of the process.”
He described the operation as a strong warning to international criminal syndicates using global shipping routes to move stolen vehicles across countries while disguising them as legitimate cargo.
In recent years, several countries in Africa, including Nigeria and Ghana, have been identified as destinations for stolen vehicles shipped from North America and Europe through illegal international trade channels.
The interception at Tin Can Island Port is therefore being seen as a significant achievement for Nigerian authorities, especially at a time when global concerns are rising over the activities of international vehicle theft syndicates.
Nigeria’s busy seaports, particularly the Tin Can Island Port and Apapa Port in Lagos, handle thousands of imported vehicles and containers every year. The large volume of cargo has often made the ports attractive to smugglers involved in illegal trade.
However, Customs officials say recent investments in intelligence gathering, cargo profiling and international cooperation are helping to improve the detection of suspicious shipments.
Onyeka said the latest operation reflected the determination of the Nigeria Customs Service to strengthen maritime security and improve its anti-smuggling operations.
He added that the case also showed the growing partnership between Nigeria and Canada in tackling organised cross-border crimes involving stolen assets and illegal trade.
“The recovery has further revealed the ongoing cooperation between Nigeria and Canada in intelligence sharing, cargo profiling and maritime enforcement, particularly in tackling organised cross-border crimes involving stolen assets, illicit trade and other fraudulent activities,” he said.
The successful recovery and handover of the vehicles is expected to further strengthen diplomatic and security relations between both countries.
For many Nigerians, the incident has again drawn attention to the sophisticated methods used by international criminal groups and the growing need for tighter monitoring of cargo entering the country.
Authorities say investigations into the smuggling network behind the vehicles are continuing, while more surveillance measures are expected to be introduced at the nation’s seaports to prevent similar crimes in the future.