The Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) has transferred 21 stolen unique vehicles, valued at over N1.8 billion, to the Canadian authorities.
The autos, which embrace Rolls Royce, Lamborghini Huracan, Mercedes-AMG, and Vary Rover fashions, had been handed over on the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) in Lagos on Tuesday.
Comptroller Normal of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed that the vehicles had been smuggled into Nigeria utilizing falsified paperwork after being stolen from Canada, the US, and Europe, as reported by the Information Company of Nigeria (NAN).
“The Nigeria Customs Service in Lagos on Tuesday handed over 21 unique vehicles price over N1.8 billion to the Canadian Authorities,” the report learn partly.
The autos had been recovered by “Operation Scorching Wheels,” a collaborative initiative between the NCS, the Financial and Monetary Crimes Fee (EFCC), and the Canadian authorities.
Adeniyi defined that the operation was launched in response to a rising development of transnational car theft, with West Africa more and more changing into a hub for stolen luxurious vehicles.
“The rising incidence of stolen autos discovering their approach into our area has develop into a matter of great concern, because it not solely undermines our authentic automotive market but additionally strains our safety infrastructure.
“Latest intelligence from worldwide regulation enforcement companies additional confirms that our area has develop into a most well-liked vacation spot for internationally stolen autos.
“This can be a development that not solely tarnishes Nigeria’s worldwide picture but additionally impacts our financial system by substantial income losses and elevated safety spending,” he mentioned.
Adeniyi highlighted the broader financial implications of those crimes, noting their disruptive affect on Nigeria’s automotive commerce sector and the pressure they place on the nation’s safety infrastructure.
He careworn that tackling the rising inflow of stolen autos into Nigeria calls for vital assets, corresponding to improved border administration and sturdy verification programs.
These measures, nevertheless, divert important assets away from commerce facilitation and initiatives aimed toward fostering financial development.
The Customs Boss defined that the syndicate behind the smuggling operation used numerous strategies to hide the stolen autos. These included false declarations and using authentic cargo to disguise the vehicles throughout cargo.
Adeniyi famous that the legal syndicates had develop into more and more subtle, using superior concealment methods to evade detection.
