The Nigerian Police Force says it has recovered two “high-end” vehicles stolen from the Netherlands and shipped into Nigeria in 2023.
Police spokesperson Benjamin Hundeyin disclosed this in an X statement on Monday.
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Recovered by the operatives of the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) National Central Bureau (NCB) in Abuja, the vehicles—a Toyota C-HR (2020 model) and a Toyota RAV4 (2019 model)—were recovered from separate locations in Lagos and Akwa Ibom states.
The operation, according to Mr Hundeyin’s statement, was in coordination with INTERPOL NCB in The Hague, Netherlands.
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The vehicles stolen from Amsterdam and Midden-Nederland were “shipped to Nigeria through the Port of Antwerp, Belgium, arriving in Apapa, Lagos, in late 2023.”
Legal procedure
Following the recovery, the police said, they instituted civil forfeiture proceedings at the Federal High Court in 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 police said.
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The Nigeria INTERPOL team on Monday handed over the vehicles to “representatives of the insurance company and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Nigeria.”
The handing over, the police added, marked the successful conclusion of the cross-border recovery and restitution effort.
Mr Hundeyin stated that the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, commended the INTERPOL operatives “for their professionalism and the effective synergy with international partners, particularly INTERPOL NCB, The Hague.”
“He noted that the successful recovery and repatriation of the vehicles reflect the Force’s firm commitment to global law enforcement cooperation and to ensuring that criminal networks involved in cross-border vehicle theft and smuggling are denied the proceeds of their crimes,” Mr Hundeyin stated.
He added: “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 INTERPOL
Created in 1923 as an intergovernmental organsation, the INTERPOL, operating the NCB in 196 countries, helps facilitate cooperation between national police forces to combat transnational crimes including terrorism, cybercrime, organised and financial crime.
The INTEROL in Nigeria collaborates with other agencies like the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), Nigerian Navy and Nigeria Correctional Service.
In 2023, Nigeria and other West African nations played a vital role in the recovery of over €2 million linked to various international criminal syndicates.
Nigeria also participated in a coordinated operation that led to the arrest of 260 transnational criminals across Africa. The operation also led to the recovery of more than 1,000 electronic devices being used for cyber and financial crimes.
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