The Nigeria Police Force has announced the successful recovery of two stolen vehicles — a 2020 Toyota C-HR and a 2019 Toyota RAV4 — in a joint operation conducted by the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB) Abuja and INTERPOL NCB The Hague. The vehicles were traced to different locations in Lagos and Akwa Ibom States.
According to a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, the recovery represents a major milestone in the ongoing crackdown on transnational organized crime.
Investigations revealed that the vehicles were originally stolen from Amsterdam and Midden-Nederland in the Netherlands. They were subsequently smuggled into Nigeria through the Port of Antwerp in Belgium and arrived at the Apapa Port in Lagos in late 2023.
Following their recovery, the Nigeria Police Force, through INTERPOL NCB Abuja, initiated civil forfeiture proceedings at the Federal High Court in Abuja. After due legal processes, the court issued a final forfeiture order in favor of the Government of the Netherlands, represented by the vehicles’ insurance company. This order authorized the lawful repatriation of the recovered cars to their rightful owners.
