The Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) has ordered persons in possession of some 95 vehicles believed to have been stolen from the US and Canada to hand them over immediately.
EOCO has provided details of the vehicles, including identification numbers, car models, and addresses of some individuals suspected of having the luxury vehicles smuggled into Ghana.
After securing a court order to freeze all the cars, EOCO has given a deadline of May 31 to individuals and dealers to submit all documents related to the luxury vehicles.
A statement signed by the Executive Director of EOCO, Commissioner of Police Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah and released on Tuesday, April 18, said law enforcement agencies would take action and confiscate the vehicles after the deadline.
This follows a documentary by Nat Geo which exposed operations of cross-border carjacking syndicates.
The expose by Mariana van Zeller for the National Geographic Channel detailed how stolen vehicles are shipped from the US to Ghana after the VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) is altered to prevent security operatives from detecting the stolen cars.
Background
EOCO has embarked on a crackdown campaign to seize all vehicles stolen from other countries and smuggled into Ghana by criminals.
The law enforcement agency revealed that over 400 luxury vehicles in Ghana are suspected of being stolen from the USA and Canada.
In collaboration with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), they retrieved 37 luxury vehicles suspected to be stolen from the United States of America and Canada.
In a statement on December 13, 2022, EOCO said the various specifications of luxury vehicles were retrieved from some garages in Accra on Friday, December 9, 2022.
Ten suspects were arrested in that case, and they were later prosecuted.
EOCO further advised prospective vehicle buyers to ensure due diligence before purchasing vehicles.
Subsequently, EOCO secured a court order to seize other vehicles suspected of being stolen and smuggled into the country.
The order was also to prevent anyone from disposing of the vehicles.
EOCO said the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) had also been notified to be on the lookout for any possible attempt to register or change ownership of any of the vehicles.
The said vehicles were alleged to have been obtained through fraud and other crimes and shipped into the country, with some being displayed for sale in several garages in Accra.
Below is the list of the vehicles:
