The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has formally handed over intercepted stolen luxury vehicles traced to Canada to the Deputy High Commissioner of Canada to Nigeria, Nasser Salihou.

A statement on the handover was made available to journalists on Sunday in Abuja by the NCS spokesperson, Abdullahi Maiwada.

Mr Maiwada said the vehicles were handed over at the Tin Can Island Port by the Customs Area Controller of the Command, Frank Onyeka.

He said the move was part of ongoing efforts to strengthen international confidence in Nigeria’s anti-smuggling and cargo intelligence system.

According to him, the recovery followed months of intelligence sharing and operational collaboration between the NCS and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

The spokesperson added that authorities in Canada traced a number of stolen high-end vehicles believed to have been smuggled into Nigeria through international shipping channels.

“Internal Customs document dated May 5, showed that the intercepted vehicles included a 2019 Lexus RX350, 2019 Mercedes-Benz G550, 2023 Land Rover Range Rover, 2019 Lamborghini Huracán, 2021 Rolls-Royce Dawn Convertible.

“Also, a 2018 Lamborghini Aventador and 2026 Toyota Tundra, all confirmed to have been stolen and illegally exported before ending up in Nigeria,” he said.

Speaking at the handing over, Mr Onyeka said one of the vehicles, a Toyota Tacoma, was initially concealed inside a container carrying other vehicles and had not yet exited customs control before intelligence from Canadian authorities triggered immediate intervention.

He said once the alert was received and shipping documentation transmitted through official channels, officers of the command moved swiftly to isolate the suspicious consignment.

He said the officers extracted the affected 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,” he said.

He explained that the service deliberately delayed the final release until officials of the Canadian government arrived in person to complete identification and recovery procedures.

“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 to preserve the integrity of the process,” he said.

He said the operation reinforced the NCS’ commitment to tackling transnational vehicle theft syndicates that exploit global shipping routes to move stolen automobiles across continents.

According to him, the recovery showed the ongoing cooperation between Nigeria and Canada in intelligence sharing, cargo profiling, and maritime enforcement.

He said this was particularly in tackling organised cross-border crimes involving stolen assets, illicit trade, and other fraudulent activities.

(NAN)