Officials seized two stolen cars last month that were heading from the Norfolk Port of Entry to Mali.
The cars, a 2016 Chevrolet Tahoe and a 2016 Mercedes Benz GLE63, were worth more than $140,000. They were surrendered to the Virginia State Police who will return them to their owners, according to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection news release.
The cars were discovered on Jan. 19 when CBP inspectors realized the vehicle identification numbers did not match the two older cars listed by the exporter on the “Shippers Export Declaration.” Instead, the VIN numbers matched stolen vehicle records from New York and Connecticut.
“Part of safeguarding our nation’s interests is to make sure that all exports are legitimate and lawful,” Port of Norfolk Area Director Mark J. Laria wrote in a release. “We check exports for stolen goods, advanced technologies, firearms and dual use items, among many other requirements.”
Mayfield can be reached at [email protected].
