By our Correspondent
On Tuesday, the Nigeria Customs Service handed over 21 stolen exotic cars worth over N1.8 billion to the Canadian Government.
TheNewsZenith reports that the Comptroller General of Customs (CGC), Wale Adeniyi, handed the cars to Canadian embassy officials in Lagos.
The CGC said the International Police (INTERPOL) had identified some countries in West Africa as hubs for stolen exotic vehicles from Canada, America and Europe.
Exotic vehicles returned include Rolls Royce, Labomgini Horicane, Mercedes-AMG and Range Rover.
The CGC said members of a syndicate stole vehicles from foreign countries and subsequently shipped them to Nigeria, using falsified documents.
“NCS officers recovered about 21 exotic cars from the criminal gang, in collaboration with the recently established Operations Hot Wheel.
“Operation Hot Wheel consist of officers from the Nigeria Customs Service, the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) and the Canadian government,” he said.
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He quoted an INTERPOL report as saying that West Africa has become a notable destination hub in the global stolen vehicle trade network.
“This extends from Europe and North America to South America and Australia. This challenge is particularly acute in Nigeria,” he said.
Also quoting the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) data, Adeniyi said available records indicated that between 2013 and 2015, INTERPOL recorded 54 per cent recovery of stolen vehicles.
“Recent intelligence from international law enforcement agencies confirmed that our region has become a preferred destination for internationally stolen vehicles.
“This is a trend that tarnishes Nigeria’s international image. It also impacts our economy negatively through revenue losses and increased security spending,” he said.
Adeniyi expressed deep concern over the far-reaching implications of this criminal enterprise on the nation’s economy.
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