Interpol And Nigeria Customs Seizes Six Vehicles – Toyota And Lexus Models – Reported Stolen In Canada

Nigeria Customs and Interpol have found six vehicles – Toyota and Lexus models – that were reported stolen in Canada in 2024. The discovery was made during inspections of freight containers from Canada, with four of them showing signs of break-ins. According to Interpol, Toyota and Honda models are the most commonly stolen vehicles traced to West Africa during a two-week operation. The INTERPOL’s Stolen Motor Vehicle database identified 270,000 stolen vehicles globally last year.

A two-week operation named ‘Safe Wheels’ led by INTERPOL in West Africa has resulted in the detection of approximately 150 stolen vehicles and the seizure of over 75 vehicles. Law enforcement agencies in 12 West African countries participated in the operation targeting vehicle crimes. Toyota, Honda, and Peugeot models were found to be the most stolen vehicles traced from Canada to West Africa. The stolen vehicles were identified through INTERPOL’s Stolen Motor Vehicle (SMV) database, enabling instant verification if a vehicle has been reported stolen. The operation involved an average of 46 daily checkpoints and inspected 12,600 vehicles against the SMV database.

According to INTERPOL, Toyota models were the most prevalent among seized or flagged stolen vehicles, followed by Peugeot and Honda. Both land and sea routes were utilized to traffic the stolen vehicles uncovered during the operation. In Lagos, Nigeria, six vehicles – Toyota and Lexus models – were discovered by Nigerian Customs Service officers in freight containers from Canada, with four containers showing signs of break-ins. The vehicles were confirmed as stolen in Canada in 2024 after checks against INTERPOL’s SMV database. To support Operation Safe Wheels, nine law enforcement officers and experts from INTERPOL’s SMV Task Force were deployed in Benin, Cabo Verde, Gambia, Ghana, Nigeria, and Togo.