A major INTERPOL-led operation across West Africa has uncovered approximately 150 stolen vehicles, the majority of which originated from Canada, in a concerted effort to dismantle transnational vehicle trafficking and organized crime networks
Codenamed Operation Safe Wheels, the two-week crackdown took place between March 17 and 30, 2025, and mobilized law enforcement agencies from 12 West African nations, including Ghana and Nigeria. Over 12,600 vehicles were inspected, leading to the seizure of more than 75 stolen vehicles and the launch of 18 new investigations into vehicle crime and its ties to organized criminal syndicates.
According to INTERPOL, most of the recovered vehicles were reported stolen in Canada, while others originated from France, Germany, and the Netherlands. Common makes included Toyota, Peugeot, and Honda.
“Each year, hundreds of thousands of vehicles are stolen worldwide, but that theft often marks just the beginning of a broader criminal journey,” said David Caunter, INTERPOL’s Director of Organized and Emerging Crime. “Stolen vehicles are used as currency in the global underworld, exchanged for drugs and other illicit goods, fueling the operations of organized crime groups and even terrorist networks.”
Caunter emphasized the importance of INTERPOL’s Stolen Motor Vehicle (SMV) database, calling it the organization’s most powerful tool for tracking stolen vehicles and identifying those behind the trafficking. In 2024 alone, the database helped identify approximately 270,000 stolen vehicles globally.
The operation had a strong footprint in Nigeria, where six high-end vehicles—including Toyota and Lexus models—were discovered in shipping containers at the Lagos port. The vehicles, all bearing signs of forced entry, had been reported stolen in Canada in 2024. The Nigerian Customs Service confirmed that investigations are ongoing, in collaboration with Canada’s INTERPOL National Central Bureau.
INTERPOL deployed nine international officers and experts, including a Canadian specialist from its SMV Task Force, to support national enforcement teams in Benin, Cabo Verde, Gambia, Ghana, Nigeria, and Togo. The operation was conducted under Project Drive Out—a new initiative between INTERPOL and the Government of Canada aimed at tackling global vehicle theft and illegal trade in auto parts. Canada provided financial support for the project.
Participating countries in Operation Safe Wheels included Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, and Togo. On average, law enforcement teams in these countries set up 46 daily checkpoints to inspect vehicles and intercept illicitly trafficked units.
Authorities say the success of the operation highlights the growing scale and sophistication of cross-border vehicle crime in West Africa, which is increasingly linked to broader smuggling operations and transnational criminal networks. The outcome marks a significant advance in regional security cooperation and the global fight against organized vehicle theft.