International police organisation INTERPOL has traced several stolen vehicles from Canada to Nigeria, following a large-scale cross-border operation targeting vehicle trafficking in West Africa.
The operation, codenamed Safe Wheels, was carried out between 17 and 30 March 2025 across 12 West African countries, including Nigeria.
Coordinated by INTERPOL, it involved thousands of vehicle checks at land and sea borders, resulting in the detection of approximately 150 stolen vehicles and the seizure of more than 75.
A statement released from INTERPOL’s headquarters in Lyon, France, said the majority of the stolen vehicles flagged during the two-week exercise had been trafficked from Canada, with others originating from France, Germany, and the Netherlands. Toyota, Peugeot and Honda models were among the most commonly intercepted brands.
In Nigeria, officers of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) uncovered six stolen vehicles, mostly Toyota and Lexus hidden in freight containers reportedly shipped from Canada. Four of the cars showed signs of break-in, and all were confirmed as stolen in Canada in 2024 through checks on INTERPOL’s Stolen Motor Vehicle (SMV) database.
The SMV system, accessible by police across INTERPOL’s 196 member countries, enables officers to instantly verify if a vehicle has been reported stolen globally. In 2024 alone, over 270,000 stolen vehicles were flagged using the tool.
Speaking on the outcome of the operation, David Caunter, INTERPOL’s Director of Organized and Emerging Crime, warned that stolen vehicles often fuel broader criminal activity.
“The theft is only the beginning. Stolen vehicles are used to fund and facilitate organised crime and, in some cases, even terrorism,” he said.
Investigations into the trafficking networks are ongoing, with two major criminal groups already identified. INTERPOL has initiated 18 new probes as a result of the operation.
Operation Safe Wheels was conducted under the Project Drive Out initiative — a joint partnership between INTERPOL and the Government of Canada aimed at tackling international vehicle theft and illegal spare parts trading.
Experts from INTERPOL’s SMV Task Force, including Canadian specialists, were deployed to Nigeria, Ghana, Togo, Benin and other participating countries to assist with enforcement and forensic checks.
The discovery of stolen Canadian vehicles in Lagos is expected to further deepen cooperation between Nigerian authorities and Canada’s INTERPOL National Central Bureau as the investigation continues.
