The Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) has handed over 21 stolen exotic cars, worth over N1.8 billion, to the Canadian government. The vehicles, which include models such as Rolls Royce, Lamborghini Huracan, Mercedes-AMG, and Range Rover, were transferred at the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) in Lagos on Tuesday.
Comptroller General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, revealed that the cars were smuggled into Nigeria using forged documents after being stolen from Canada, the United States, and Europe. The transfer follows the success of “Operation Hot Wheels,” a joint operation between the NCS, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and the Canadian authorities.
Adeniyi explained that the operation was launched in response to the rising trend of transnational vehicle theft, with West Africa emerging as a major destination for stolen luxury cars. He emphasized the wider economic consequences of these crimes, highlighting their disruptive impact on Nigeria’s automotive trade sector and the added pressure they place on the country’s security infrastructure.
He further stressed that addressing the growing influx of stolen vehicles requires substantial resources, including better border management and more robust verification systems. These efforts, however, divert critical resources from other trade facilitation activities and economic development initiatives.
Adeniyi also noted that criminal syndicates involved in the vehicle theft trade have become more sophisticated, using advanced concealment methods to avoid detection.
