Police Capture Car Theft Specialist Shipping Stolen Vehicles to Lagos

Armed Robbery Suspect Arrested for Stealing Cars and Transporting to Lagos

​The Lagos State Police Command has detained a 22-year-old member of an armed robbery syndicate specializing in car theft. The suspect was apprehended in the Ikotun area following intelligence reports. The syndicate targeted vehicles in eastern Nigeria, transporting stolen cars to Lagos for sale. During interrogation, the suspect confessed to receiving three Lexus 330 and one Lexus 350 (2017 model) vehicles from an accomplice, a woman currently at large. The suspect led police operatives to locations where two of the stolen vehicles—a silver Lexus 350 and a black Lexus 330—were recovered. Efforts are ongoing to apprehend other fleeing syndicate members and recover the remaining vehicles.

This arrest underscores the persistent issue of inter-state car theft syndicates in Nigeria. In June 2024, the Lagos State Police Command arrested a four-man car theft syndicate in the Ikorodu area. The group specialized in using fabricated master keys to steal vehicles, which were then sold to auto parts dealers in the Ladipo market, where the cars were dismantled and sold as parts.

Similarly, in February 2024, the Lagos State Police Command arrested eight suspected armed robbers on its wanted list. These suspects specialized in robbing residents and snatching vehicles at gunpoint. Some were apprehended in Lagos, while others were tracked to Osun and Oyo States. Recovered items included firearms and charms.