The Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, on Tuesday, November 26, said the Service has intercepted 21 stolen vehicles worth several billions of naira stolen from Canada.
The Customs boss also displayed arms and ammunition intercepted inside a commercial bus coming from Aba in Abia State to Lagos.
Among the vehicles stolen were three 2021 Toyota Highlanders; one Mercedes-Benz G550; Range Rover Sport; one Mercedes-AMG GT with Lamborghini Huracan; one Rolls Royce; Lamborghini 2019 Model; two Range Rovers (2023 & 2018 Models); 3 Toyota Highlander 2021 Models, among others.
Addressing journalists during the handing over of the seized vehicles, the Customs CG who revealed that West Africa has emerged as a notable destination hub in the global stolen vehicle trade network, revealed that the vehicles were Intercepted in Lekki, Tin-Can Island in Lagos and Onne Port, Rivers State.
According to him, the network extends from Europe and North America to as far as South America and Australia.
“Over the past several months, we have intensified our operations against vehicle trafficking syndicates operating within our borders. According to INTERPOL reports, West Africa has emerged as a notable destination hub in the global stolen vehicle trade network, which extends from Europe and North America to as far as South America and Australia.
This challenge is particularly acute in Nigeria – National Bureau of Statistics data showed that between 2013-2015, only 54% of stolen vehicles were recovered, highlighting the scale and sophistication of this criminal enterprise.
The growing incidence of stolen vehicles finding their way into our region has become a matter of serious concern, as it not only undermines our legitimate automotive market but also strains our security infrastructure,” he stated.
