By Franklin Adole
Luxury vehicles stolen from Canada, including Rolls-Royce and Lamborghini models, have been returned to Canadian High Commission officials in Nigeria following a joint investigation involving the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Nigeria Customs Service.
The recovered vehicles were formally handed over during a ceremony at the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos on Monday, May 4, 2026, according to a statement yesterday by the National Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Customs Service, Abdullahi Maiwada.
Nigerian authorities have described the recovery as a major breakthrough against transnational vehicle theft syndicates operating through international shipping routes.
Among the vehicles recovered were a 2019 Lamborghini Huracán, a 2018 Lamborghini Aventador, a 2021 Rolls-Royce Dawn Convertible, a 2019 Mercedes-Benz G550, a 2023 Land Rover Range Rover, a 2019 Lexus RX350 and a 2026 Toyota Tundra.
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.
Nigerian customs said the recovery followed months of intelligence sharing and operational collaboration between the Nigeria Customs Service and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).
Canadian investigators had reportedly traced the luxury vehicles after they were stolen in Canada and illegally exported through international shipping networks before surfacing in Nigeria.
Customs documents dated May 5, 2026, confirmed that all the vehicles had been stolen abroad before being smuggled into the country.
Speaking during the handover ceremony, Onyeka disclosed that one of the vehicles, a Toyota Tacoma, had been secretly concealed inside a container carrying other automobiles before Customs officers intercepted it.
“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 explained that Customs officers immediately isolated the affected container after receiving shipping documents and intelligence reports from Canadian authorities through diplomatic and enforcement channels.
The Customs boss added that the agency deliberately withheld the release of the vehicles until Canadian officials physically verified and recovered them.
“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 stated.
Onyeka described the operation as evidence of Nigeria’s growing capacity to combat organised international crime and stolen vehicle trafficking.
According to him, criminal syndicates are increasingly exploiting global shipping systems to move stolen luxury vehicles across continents while disguising them as legitimate cargo.
He said the successful recovery highlighted the Nigeria Customs Service’s renewed focus on cargo profiling, intelligence gathering, and maritime enforcement.
“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 added.