KANAGAWA (TR) – Kanagawa Prefectural Police have arrested four men, including a male Nigerian national, on suspicion of attempting to illegally export a stolen vehicle from Yokohama Port last year, reports Fuji News Network (May 28).
Arirone Walter Ifeanyi, the 55-year-old president of a used car dealership, and three other men are accused of submitting false customs declarations in July 2025 in a bid to ship two vehicles, including the stolen car, out of the country.
According to police, the stolen vehicle — a Land Cruiser — had been taken off the streets of Atsugi City, just days prior to the fraudulent export application.
Investigators revealed that the stolen car was first transported to a dismantling yard in Chiba Prefecture managed by Ifeanyi. From there, it was moved to Yokohama Port, where the smuggling plot was ultimately uncovered during an inspection by Yokohama Customs.
Authorities have declined to disclose whether the four suspects have admitted to the allegations.
Ifeanyi began selling used cars around 2007. Police are continuing to investigate the group’s operations, suspecting the men may belong to a broader auto-theft ring that has repeatedly smuggled stolen vehicles out of Japan.
