By Nkechi Eze
The Nigeria Police Force has recorded a major success in its ongoing efforts to combat transnational organized crime with the recovery of two luxury vehicles stolen from the Netherlands and illegally shipped into Nigeria.
According to an official statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, operatives of the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB), Abuja, in a coordinated operation with INTERPOL NCB The Hague, traced and recovered the two vehicles, a Toyota C-HR (2020 model) and a Toyota RAV4 (2019 model) from separate locations in Lagos and Akwa Ibom States.
Investigations revealed that the vehicles had been stolen from Amsterdam and Midden-Nederland before being shipped to Nigeria through the Port of Antwerp, Belgium, and eventually arriving at Apapa Port, Lagos, in late 2023.
Following the successful recovery, the Nigeria Police Force, through INTERPOL NCB Abuja, instituted civil forfeiture proceedings at the Federal High Court, Abuja. After the conclusion 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.
In furtherance of this judicial process, the INTERPOL team of the Nigeria Police Force on Monday, 20th October 2025, formally handed over the recovered vehicles to representatives of the insurance company and officials of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Nigeria, marking the successful conclusion of the international recovery and restitution effort.
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D., NPM, commended the operatives of INTERPOL NCB Abuja for their professionalism and the effective synergy established with their international counterparts, particularly INTERPOL NCB The Hague.
IGP Egbetokun noted that the operation stands as a testament to the Nigeria Police Force’s unwavering commitment to international law enforcement cooperation and the fight against transnational crime networks. “The successful recovery and repatriation of these stolen vehicles reflect the Force’s dedication to ensuring that criminal syndicates involved in cross-border vehicle theft and smuggling are denied the proceeds of their crimes,” he said.
The Police Chief further reaffirmed the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to enhancing intelligence-led policing and strengthening partnerships with international law enforcement agencies to tackle all forms of transnational organized crime.
The Force emphasized that this achievement underscores Nigeria’s active role in global policing cooperation under the framework of INTERPOL, as well as its determination to maintain the country’s integrity as a responsible partner in international security and justice.
