The Nigeria Police Force has recorded a major breakthrough in the fight against transnational organized crime with the recovery of two high-end vehicles stolen from the Netherlands and illegally shipped into Nigeria.
According to a statement issued by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, the operation was carried out by operatives of the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB), Abuja, in collaboration with INTERPOL NCB The Hague.
The recovered vehicles — a 2020 Toyota C-HR and a 2019 Toyota RAV4 — were traced to Lagos and Akwa Ibom States, respectively. Investigations revealed that they were stolen from Amsterdam and Midden-Nederland, and later shipped to Nigeria through the Port of Antwerp, Belgium, arriving at Apapa Port, Lagos, in late 2023.
Following the recovery, the Police, through INTERPOL NCB Abuja, initiated civil forfeiture proceedings at the Federal High Court, Abuja. After the completion of due legal processes, the court granted a final forfeiture order in favour of the Government of the Netherlands, through the vehicles’ insurance company, paving the way for their lawful repatriation.
On Monday, October 20, 2025, the Nigeria Police INTERPOL team officially handed over the recovered vehicles to representatives of the insurance company and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Nigeria, marking the successful completion of the cross-border recovery and restitution effort.
The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D., NPM, commended the INTERPOL NCB Abuja operatives for their professionalism and synergy with international partners, especially INTERPOL NCB The Hague.
He said the operation underscores the Force’s commitment to global law enforcement cooperation and to dismantling criminal networks engaged in cross-border vehicle theft and smuggling.
“The successful recovery and repatriation of the vehicles reflect our unwavering dedication to ensuring that criminals involved in transnational crimes are denied the proceeds of their illegal activities,” the IGP stated.
The Nigeria Police reaffirmed its commitment to intelligence-led policing and international collaboration in tackling all forms of transnational organized crime.
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