The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has handed over seven high-end vehicles stolen in Canada and smuggled into Nigeria via Tin Can Island Port in Lagos. 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. Investigations by NCS revealed the automobiles were stolen in Canada before being shipped illegally into Nigeria through international freight networks. The operation followed intelligence shared by Canadian authorities who traced the movement of the stolen vehicles to Nigeria.
Comptroller Frank Onyeka, Customs Area Controller at Tin Can Island Command, said the NCS acted promptly after receiving alerts and shipping documents from Canada. One vehicle, a Toyota Tacoma, was discovered hidden inside a container carrying other cars and was intercepted before it could leave customs custody. "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. The agency held the vehicles and refused release until Canadian officials arrived in person to verify and reclaim them.
Onyeka emphasized that intermediaries attempted to claim the vehicles on behalf of third parties, but the NCS insisted on direct handover to Canadian government representatives to maintain procedural integrity. The recovery is part of a joint effort between the Nigeria Customs Service and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to combat transnational vehicle theft and organised smuggling via maritime routes. The operation underscores ongoing collaboration between Nigeria and Canada in intelligence sharing, cargo screening, and enforcement actions targeting cross-border crime.
Frank Onyeka insists on direct handover to Canadian officials while acknowledging others tried to claim the stolen vehicles, raising questions about who those intermediaries were and how they accessed the consignment. The presence of a hidden Toyota Tacoma suggests the smuggling operation was sophisticated and possibly involved insiders at the port. If third parties felt confident enough to attempt a takeover, it points to vulnerabilities in customs clearance procedures. The recovery highlights gaps in Nigeria's port security that go beyond vehicle theft.
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