Nigeria Police INTERPOL vehicle recovery sees two cars stolen from the Netherlands traced and repatriated after being smuggled into Nigeria

Nigeria Police INTERPOL vehicle recovery has marked a major milestone in the nation’s campaign against transnational organised crime, following the successful tracing and return of two luxury vehicles stolen from the Netherlands and illegally shipped into Nigeria.

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In a coordinated operation between INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB) Abuja and INTERPOL NCB The Hague, operatives recovered a Toyota C-HR (2020) and a Toyota RAV4 (2019) from separate locations in Lagos and Akwa Ibom States.

Investigations revealed that both vehicles had been stolen from Amsterdam and Midden-Nederland before being smuggled through the Port of Antwerp in Belgium and shipped to Nigeria, arriving at Apapa Port in late 2023.

The Nigeria Police Force, through INTERPOL NCB Abuja, initiated civil forfeiture proceedings at the Federal High Court, Abuja.

After due legal process, the Court granted a final forfeiture order in favour of the Government of the Netherlands through the vehicles’ insurance company, enabling their lawful repatriation.

On Monday, 20th October 2025, the Nigeria Police INTERPOL team formally handed over the recovered vehicles to representatives of the Dutch insurance company and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Nigeria, bringing the operation to a successful conclusion.

Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, commended the INTERPOL NCB Abuja operatives for their professionalism and strong collaboration with international partners.

He said the recovery and restitution effort exemplified the Force’s commitment to global law enforcement cooperation and to dismantling cross-border vehicle theft syndicates.

Egbetokun reaffirmed the Force’s resolve to intensify intelligence-driven policing and expand international partnerships that help combat organised crime in all its forms.

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The Nigeria Police INTERPOL vehicle recovery operation stands as a clear demonstration of how strategic cooperation can restore justice and deny criminals the rewards of their illegal activities.