Police Found a Lamborghini Urus and Over 140 Stolen Cars Before Criminals Shipped Them To Africa
Stolen cars are a serious concern for everyone. Owners dread it, police and government agencies fight it, and insurance providers shutter at the thought. However, car theft is an unfortunate reality. Tragically, many criminals stockpile cars to ship overseas, never to be seen by their owners again. Fortunately, however, federal police officers with the CBP intercepted scores of cars bound for West Africa, including a spectacularly spendy Lamborghini Urus.
CBP officers found over 140 Africa-bound stolen cars worth over $7 million in Baltimore
No, it’s not a reference to Gone in 60 Seconds. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) authorities in the Baltimore Field Office recovered 141 stolen cars, trucks, and SUVs in the Area Port of Baltimore alone. Surprisingly, that’s a decrease of two vehicles from the previous year, 2022. Still, even more interesting than the volume of stolen cars are some of the makes and models.
Of the recovered vehicles, a 2022 Lamborghini Urus is the most expensive stolen ride. CBP reported the value of the Togo-bound Urus at $250,000. But, depending on the spec and mileage, used models are going for over $260,000 and $270,000.
Other noteworthy vehicular victims include three Mercedes-Benz AMG G 63s. Those three opulent luxury SUVs account for around $682,300 of the $7,369,142 in recovered rides. Two of the AMG SUVs were bound for Togo, with the third heading to Benin.
However, it’s not all world-class luxury and performance cars; the CBP reported recovering a 1991 Toyota Pickup. While the government agency didn’t declare which spec the truck was, it valued the aging utility vehicle at $2,150. However, unlike the Togo-bound luxury vehicles, the Toyota was reportedly destined for Honduras.
Beyond the Area Port of Baltimore, the Area Port of Norfolk-Newport News reported 180 stolen vehicle recoveries in 2023, a shocking increase of around 158%. Altogether, the Baltimore Field Office ranked 2nd in the nation with a collective 343 recoveries.
Shockingly, 90% of the stolen cars, SUVs, trucks, motorcycles, and even a combine harvester, were West Africa-bound. Many of the stolen vehicles had destinations in Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Ghana, and Liberia, to name a few.
