From Victor Osula, Abuja
The Nigeria Police Force has successfully recovered two vehicles stolen from the Netherlands and illegally shipped into the country — a 2020 Toyota C-HR and a 2019 Toyota RAV4.
The Force on Tuesday said the vehicles were tracked down and retrieved through the joint efforts of the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB) in Abuja and INTERPOL NCB, The Hague. The cars were found at different locations in Lagos and Akwa Ibom States.
According to investigations, the vehicles had been stolen from Amsterdam and Midden-Nederland before being transported through the Port of Antwerp in Belgium and arriving in Lagos in late 2023.
Following due legal procedures, the Federal High Court in Abuja issued a final forfeiture order granting ownership of the recovered vehicles to the Dutch government through the respective insurance company. This ruling enables the lawful return of the cars to the Netherlands.
The INTERPOL NCB Abuja team subsequently handed over the vehicles to representatives of the insurance company and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Nigeria.
The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, commended the INTERPOL operatives for their professionalism and lauded the sustained partnership with international law enforcement agencies.
Egbetokun said the successful recovery demonstrates the Nigeria Police Force’s commitment to global security cooperation and its determination to dismantle transnational criminal networks.
“This achievement reinforces our resolve to ensure that Nigeria does not serve as a safe haven for criminal elements or stolen assets from any part of the world”, the IGP stated.
He added that the Force remains dedicated to strengthening intelligence-sharing mechanisms and collaboration with international partners to combat cross-border crimes effectively.
