INTERPOL Nigeria recovers two stolen cars from Netherlands

The Nigeria Police Force, through its INTERPOL National Central Bureau in Abuja, has recovered two luxury vehicles stolen from the Netherlands and illegally brought into the country.

In a statement on Monday, Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said the recovery followed joint operations with INTERPOL NCB The Hague, which led to the tracing of the vehicles to separate locations in Lagos and Akwa Ibom states.

“Investigations revealed that the vehicles were stolen from Amsterdam and Midden-Nederland and subsequently shipped to Nigeria through the Port of Antwerp, Belgium, arriving in Apapa, Lagos, in late 2023.

“Following the recovery, the Nigeria Police Force, through INTERPOL NCB Abuja, instituted civil forfeiture proceedings at the Federal High Court, Abuja. Upon the conclusion of due legal processes, the Court granted a final forfeiture order in favour of the Government of the Netherlands through the vehicles’ insurance company, thereby facilitating their lawful repatriation,” the statement read

Adejobi identified the two vehicles as a Toyota C-HR (2020 model) and a Toyota RAV4 (2019 model).

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He added that the recovered vehicles were formally handed over to representatives of the insurance company on Monday and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Nigeria, bringing the cross-border recovery process to a successful conclusion.

The Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Kayode Egbetokun, commended the INTERPOL Abuja operatives for their professionalism and effective collaboration with their Dutch counterparts.

“He noted that the successful recovery and repatriation of the vehicles reflect the Force’s firm commitment to global law enforcement cooperation and to ensure that criminal networks involved in cross-border vehicle theft and smuggling are denied the proceeds of their crimes.

“The Nigeria Police Force remains dedicated to intensifying intelligence-led policing and strengthening international collaborations aimed at tackling all forms of transnational organized crime,” the statement added.