INTERPOL has uncovered a major transnational vehicle trafficking operation linking stolen cars from Canada to Nigeria, following a sweeping crackdown across West Africa.
Codenamed Operation Safe Wheels, the two-week enforcement effort took place from March 17 to 30, 2025, spanning 12 West African nations, including Nigeria. The initiative, aimed at curbing vehicle smuggling, led to the detection of around 150 stolen vehicles and the seizure of over 75, many of which were traced back to Canada, as well as France, Germany, and the Netherlands.
In Nigeria, operatives from the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) recovered six high-end stolen vehicles, mostly Toyota and Lexus models, concealed in shipping containers believed to have arrived from Canada. Four vehicles bore signs of forced entry, and all were verified as stolen in 2024 using INTERPOL’s Stolen Motor Vehicle (SMV) database — a global tool that flagged more than 270,000 stolen vehicles last year alone.
According to INTERPOL’s Director of Organized and Emerging Crime, David Caunter, these thefts are often the first step in broader criminal operations.
“The theft is only the beginning. Stolen vehicles are used to fund and facilitate organised crime and, in some cases, even terrorism,” he stated.
The international sting operation is part of Project Drive Out, a joint initiative between INTERPOL and the Government of Canada, focused on tackling cross-border vehicle theft and the illegal trade in spare parts. The project deployed SMV task force experts, including Canadian investigators, to countries like Nigeria, Ghana, Togo, and Benin for on-ground support and forensic verifications.
So far, two major trafficking networks have been identified, and 18 new investigations have been launched as INTERPOL deepens its probe.
The discovery of Canadian stolen vehicles in Lagos is expected to bolster cooperation between Nigeria’s law enforcement agencies and Canada’s INTERPOL National Central Bureau as authorities intensify their crackdown on international car smuggling.
