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INTERPOL uncovers 150 stolen vehicles from Canada in Nigeria, Gambia, other W.A. countries
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A major crackdown on cross-border vehicle trafficking and organised crime, the INTERPOL-led police operation in West Africa has uncovered a total of 150 stolen vehicles, most of them from Canada.
The operation, codenamed Safe Wheels, took place from March 17 to 30, 2025 and involved national law enforcement agencies across 12 West African countries, including Nigeria and Ghana.
INTERPOL, in a statement on April 30, 2025, revealed that more than 12,600 vehicles were inspected during the operation, resulting in the seizure of over 75 vehicles and the launch of 18 new investigations into vehicle crime and its links to organised criminal networks.
According to INTERPOL, the majority of stolen vehicles were traced to Canada, while others were identified as having been stolen in France, Germany and the Netherlands. Toyota, Peugeot and Honda were the most commonly recovered makes.
“Each year, hundreds of thousands of vehicles are stolen around the world, yet the initial theft is often only the beginning of a vehicle’s journey into the global criminal underworld,” said David Caunter, INTERPOL’s Director of Organised and Emerging Crime.
“Stolen vehicles are trafficked across the globe, traded for drugs and other illicit commodities, enriching organised crime groups and even terrorists. INTERPOL’s SMV (Stolen Motor Vehicle) database is the strongest tool we have to track stolen vehicles and identify the criminals involved in this global trade,” he added.
The SMV database, which INTERPOL provides to its 196 member states, allowed officers in the region to check suspicious vehicles and immediately confirm their status. In 2024 alone, the database helped identify around 270,000 stolen vehicles globally.
In Nigeria, the operation uncovered six high-end vehicles—four of which bore signs of forced entry—hidden in freight containers arriving in Lagos from Canada. The Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) confirmed that all six vehicles, including Toyota and Lexus models, had been reported stolen in Canada in 2024. Investigations are ongoing in collaboration with Canada’s INTERPOL National Central Bureau.
In support of Safe Wheels, INTERPOL deployed nine officers and experts from its SMV Task Force, including a specialist from Canada, to assist local law enforcement in Benin, Cabo Verde, Gambia, Ghana, Nigeria, and Togo.
The operation was carried out under Project Drive Out, a new partnership between INTERPOL and the Government of Canada aimed at curbing vehicle theft and the illegal trade in auto parts. Funding for the project was provided by Canada.
The participating INTERPOL member countries included Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, and Togo. Daily, law enforcement teams in these countries established an average of 46 checkpoints to inspect vehicles and track trafficked units.
Officials say the successful coordination of Safe Wheels highlights the growing threat of transnational vehicle crime in West Africa, often linked to broader networks of smuggling and illicit trade.
The operation marks a significant step in regional efforts to clamp down on organised vehicle theft and bolster international policing cooperation.
Troops of Operation ENDURING PEACE, OPEP, in collaboration with the Civilian Joint Task Force, CJTF, have arrested a suspected kidnapper linked to the abduction of a resident in Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
This was contained in a statement posted on X by the Nigerian Army.
The post identified the suspect as Buba Ali, 30, adding that he was arrested at about 12:45 pm on Sunday, August 9, at Binawa village in Kauru Local Government Area.
According to post, the suspect was arrested during a joint operation conducted by troops of Sector 7 OPEP and members of the CJTF.
It said the suspect was reportedly linked to the kidnapping of Alhaji Tasi, who was abducted in the village.
“Following his arrest, Ali was taken into custody and is currently being interrogated by security personnel.
“The ongoing investigation is focused on obtaining information that could lead to the identification and arrest of other members of the suspected kidnapping gang,” the Army said.
Nigerian ambassador to South Africa, Femi Fani-Kayode, has rejected claims by an Islamic scholar, Sheikh Yahaya Jingir, that Nigeria is a Muslim country.
In a viral video, Sheikh Jingir, who was preaching to Muslims at an event, said “if you don’t want to accept a Muslim-Muslim ticket, you should leave Nigeria because it belongs to us”.
The comment has continued to generate backlash online as Christians rejected the claim.
Reacting, Fani-kayode in a statement posted on his official X handle on Sunday night, said the cleric’s remark is unhelpful and untrue.
“Worse of all is the fact that it is highly provocative,” the former aviation minister said.
“Kindly take note that it is a very slippery and dangerous slope to take and is best avoided. Nigeria is NOT a Muslim country and neither is she a Christian country.
“She is a SECULAR and MULTI-RELIGIOUS state comprising BOTH Christians and Muslims in equal numbers and that is our strength,” FFK added.
He further stated that President Bola Tinubu’s Muslim/Muslim ticket for 2027 is gaining acceptance “only because of the calibre, ability, sincerity of purpose, character, utility and electoral strength of our Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates and their ability to deliver and not because they are Muslims”.
“One day we may have a Christian/Christian ticket too because with God all things are possible,” he added.
The Osun State Police Command has confirmed the release of the state Commissioner for Environment and Sanitation, Moyowa Adejoorin, who was arrested in connection with a shooting incident at an All Progressives Congress, APC, rally in Ilesa.
The incident occurred on Saturday and reportedly left four people injured, including a teenager identified as Tobi Ilesanmi.
The command’s spokesperson, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, said Adejoorin was taken into custody after police officers arrived at the scene, secured the area and began collecting evidence.
According to Ojelabi, the commissioner’s vehicle was stopped at the location, where an Amotekun operative allegedly linked to the shooting was also found.
“Immediately the incident was reported, our personnel moved to the scene and cordoned off the area before some exhibits were recovered, which included expended cartridges and Amotekun personnel caps.
“Also, Mr Adejoorin was arrested at the scene and taken to the command for questioning as part of the investigation process,” Ojelabi said.
The development came amid heightened attention to the incident after a video circulated on social media on Sunday showing Adejoorin leaving the police command.
Confirming the development, Ojelabi told Vanguard that the commissioner had been released on bail but said he was still awaiting clarification on the status of the Amotekun operative who was arrested alongside him.
“It is true that the commissioner has been released on bail today, but I am yet to clear the situation with the Amotekun personnel arrested with him,” he said.
Police investigations into the circumstances surrounding the shooting are ongoing.
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