An international police operation in West Africa uncovered a chain of vehicle trafficking, resulting in the discovery of around 150 stolen vehicles and the seizure of more than 75.
The two-week operation, codenamed ‘Safe Wheels’, was coordinated by INTERPOL and carried out by national law enforcement agencies in 12 West African countries. It also initiated 18 new investigations and uncovered the involvement of two organized crime groups.
Authorities set up 46 daily checkpoints, inspecting 12,600 vehicles against INTERPOL’s Stolen Motor Vehicle (SMV) database. Toyota, Peugeot, and Honda models were most frequently detected, with checks conducted via both land and sea routes.
INTERPOL’s SMV database identifies stolen vehicles from Canada, France, Germany, and the Netherlands. The database enables police in 196 member countries to quickly check suspicious vehicles and determine if they have been reported as stolen.
Reports indicate that in 2024, around 270,000 vehicles were identified as stolen globally through the SMV database.
David Caunter, Director of Organized and Emerging Crime at INTERPOL, said that hundreds of thousands of vehicles are stolen every year around the world. “Stolen vehicles are trafficked across the globe, traded for drugs and other illicit commodities, enriching organized crime groups and even terrorists,” he added.
Six vehicles, including Toyota and Lexus models, were discovered by the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) officers in Lagos, four of which showed clear signs of break-in. INTERPOL’s SMV database confirmed that all six vehicles were reported stolen in Canada in 2024. The NCS and the INTERPOL National Central Bureau of Canada are still working together on investigations.
Nine law enforcement officers and experts from INTERPOL’s SMV Task Force, including a Canadian expert, were deployed to Benin, Cabo Verde, Gambia, Ghana, Nigeria, and Togo to support Operation Safe Wheels, a new project aimed at addressing vehicle theft and illegal spare part trade, funded by the Canadian government.
INTERPOL member countries that participated in the operation included Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cote d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, and Togo.
