The Nigeria Police Force has successfully recovered and returned two luxury vehicles stolen from the Netherlands, formerly known as Holland and smuggled into Nigeria, marking a major success in the country’s fight against transnational organized crime.
According to a statement issued on Monday by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, the recovery followed a coordinated operation between the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB) Abuja and INTERPOL NCB The Hague.
The vehicles—a 2020 Toyota C-HR and a 2019 Toyota RAV4—were traced to separate locations in Lagos and Akwa Ibom States. Investigations revealed that they were stolen from Amsterdam and Midden-Nederland, then illegally shipped to Nigeria through the Port of Antwerp, Belgium, arriving in Apapa, Lagos, in late 2023.
Following their recovery, the Nigeria Police, through INTERPOL NCB Abuja, initiated civil forfeiture proceedings at the Federal High Court, Abuja. The court subsequently granted a final forfeiture order in favour of the Government of the Netherlands, acting through the vehicles’ insurance company.
In a formal ceremony on Monday, October 20, 2025, the recovered vehicles were officially handed over to representatives of the insurance company and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Nigeria, concluding the cross-border recovery process.
Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, commended the INTERPOL team for their professionalism and effective collaboration with international partners. He said the operation demonstrates the Police Force’s commitment to global law enforcement cooperation and to denying criminal syndicates the benefits of cross-border vehicle theft and smuggling.
Egbetokun reaffirmed that the Nigeria Police would continue to strengthen intelligence-led operations and deepen international partnerships to combat all forms of transnational organized crime.