The Oyo State Police Command has busted a transnational criminal network allegedly involved in trafficking stolen luxury vehicles across Nigeria’s borders for sale in foreign countries.

The operation led to the arrest of two suspects and the recovery of a stolen Lexus RX 350 SUV.

The command’s Police Public Relations Officer, Ayanlade Olayinka, disclosed this in a statement released on Wednesday and made available to journalists in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

Ayanlade said the suspects were arrested following an intelligence-led operation by operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit.

He said one of the suspects, who was already in police custody in connection with an armed robbery case involving about 10 alleged victims, disclosed information about a criminal gang specialising in receiving and transporting stolen vehicles to foreign countries.

According to the PPRO, the suspects were identified as Adewale Abiola, 33, and Kabiru Abobarin, 36, also known as “KB”.

He said a search of the recovered vehicle led to the recovery of valuables belonging to the victim, including four HP laptops, an iPhone 15 Pro Max, a bag containing seven wristwatches and jewellery.

Ayanlade said the suspects allegedly confessed to receiving the vehicle from a syndicate that stole it in Ilorin, Kwara State, and transporting it towards the border, where an ECOWAS document would be obtained to facilitate its movement to a foreign country.

The statement read, “The Oyo Police Command has busted a trans-national and organised criminal network involved in the trafficking of stolen exotic vehicles across Nigeria’s borders for sale in foreign countries, following a successful intelligence-led operation by operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit.

“The suspects identified themselves as Adewale Abiola, male, 33 years, and Kabiru Abobarin, male, 36 years, also known as ‘KB.’

“A search of the recovered vehicle led to the recovery of valuables belonging to the victim, including four HP laptops, one iPhone 15 Pro Max, a bag containing seven wristwatches and some jewellery.”

The command said one of the suspects in custody had, during interrogation, revealed information about the activities of the syndicate.

It added that operatives subsequently allowed him to operate his mobile phone under controlled circumstances, during which members of the alleged syndicate sent him pictures of a vehicle they planned to steal and instructed him to arrange for its reception and transportation across the border.

The command said it later received information from the Kwara State Police Command on August 24 about a Lexus RX 350 SUV, 2017 model, allegedly stolen from a woman at gunpoint at her residence in Ilorin.

The Commissioner of Police, Oyo State Command, Abimbola Olugbenga, subsequently directed the VCRU commander to mount an intelligence-led stop-and-search operation along the Ibadan–Ilorin Expressway.

“At about 0400hrs on 25 August 2026, VCRU operatives sighted the stolen Lexus SUV and attempted to stop it for interrogation. The occupants, however, abandoned the vehicle and fled in different directions into the bush in an attempt to evade arrest.

“The operatives gave them a hot chase, resulting in the arrest of two suspects, one of whom sustained a bullet wound to his left foot during the operation,” the statement said.

The command said the vehicle was recovered and taken into custody for further investigation.

Olugbenga commended the operatives for their prompt response, professionalism and effective use of actionable intelligence.

He also directed that the investigation be intensified to identify and arrest other members of the alleged syndicate and dismantle the wider transnational criminal network.

The command commended the cooperation and intelligence-sharing between the Oyo and Kwara State Police Commands, noting that sustained inter-state collaboration was critical to disrupting organised and transnational criminal activities.