Most of the vehicles were reportedly stolen in Canada and EU countries before being transported to the continent

Interpol has located around 150 stolen vehicles and seized 75 as the result of an operation in 12 West African countries, the frique-sur7 news agency reported on Sunday. The vehicles were stolen in the EU and Canada before being smuggled, it added.  

Operation 'Safe Wheels' was carried out from March 17 to 30 in cooperation with law enforcement agencies from Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Ivory Coast (Cote d'Ivoire), Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, and Togo.

Most of the stolen vehicles were transported from Canada, with others reported stolen in France, Germany, and the Netherlands. Toyota models were the most represented among the seized vehicles, followed by Peugeot and Honda.

In Lagos, Nigeria, customs officers discovered six vehicles in freight containers arriving from Canada. Four of the vehicles showed signs of break-in and all six were confirmed as stolen in Canada in 2024.

David Caunter, director of organized and emerging crime at Interpol, stated, "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."

"Stolen vehicles are trafficked across the globe, traded for drugs and other illicit commodities, enriching organized crime groups and even terrorists," he added.

According to Interpol's press service, stolen vehicles uncovered during the operation were smuggled using both land and maritime routes.

The operation also led to the initiation of 18 new investigations and uncovered the involvement of two organized crime groups.

During the 'Screen West Africa 2024' operation, more than 100 luxury vehicles stolen from Canada and various European countries were recovered, revealing a network that smuggled stolen cars into West Africa, Interpol's press service announced in January. Nearly half of the recovered vehicles were traced back to Canada.

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"The proceeds from these stolen vehicles often fund organized crime activities, including arms smuggling, drug trafficking, and terror networks," the press service said.

In 2024, approximately 270,000 vehicles were identified as stolen globally through the Stolen Motor Vehicle (SMV) database.