How 95 stolen luxury vehicles from US and Canada end up for Ghana

Ghana turn major destination for stolen luxury vehicles

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Law enforcement agency for Ghana, de Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) order for de return of some 95 stolen luxury vehicles from US and Canada wey end up in de country.

Commissioner of Police Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah say members of de general public get up to May 31, 2023 deadline to return stolen luxury vehicles from US and Canada.

Addo-Danquah, Executive Director of EOCO, say de law enforcement agency secure court order to freeze all de stolen cars, EOCO publish list of de 95 stolen cars otherwise dem go confiscate dem.

Ghana Economic and Organized Crime Office dey embark on dis exercise after Mariana van Zeller on National Geographic Channel investigations expose how cross-border carjacking syndicate dey operate.

No be small cars

De story be dat de criminals after stealing de cars, go smuggle am into countries like Ghana.

Dem go den change de Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) so say dem go fit beat security systems wey go detect dia crime.

Luxury vehicles criminal syndicate smuggle enter Ghana be;

  • BMW
  • Lincoln
  • Ford
  • Mercedes Benz
  • Cadillac
  • Range Rover
  • Dodge
  • Porsche

How carjackers dey steal cars

De carjackers according to security operatives dey steal de cars from residential driveways in US and Canada wey dem go drive de cars to port for shipment.

In order to avoid tracking, sometimes dem dey swap salvage vehicle wey dem buy for auction with clean vehicle wey dem steal from de streets of USA or Canada to prevent detection.

How to know if you dey buy stolen car

Check VIN of car

To identify if car be stolen, you go fit check de Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) from state agency which dey manage vehicle registration.

Other times some free online platforms fit help determine if de VIN of de vehicle you dey buy be stolen.

Buy vehicle history report

One other way of knowing stolen vehicle be say you go buy de vehicle history report.

Details of de report dey include title information, accident history and damage, previous owners den tins.

De history go help you know of you dey buy de car from de right sources of if dem report am stolen.

Cheap deals

Another way to tell say vehicle fit be stolen be when de price be too cheap.

Most criminal syndicates dey like sell de car fast, so if dem reduce de price way below market value den that be one redlight to look out for.

Background to smuggling of stolen vehicles into Ghana

Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) reveal say criminals smuggle over 400 stolen luxury vehicles into Ghana from USA and Canada.

In 2022, as part of coloration between Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), dem manage retrieve 37 luxury vehicles from Ghana wey carjackers steal from USA and Canada.

In addition to de luxury vehicle retrieval, security operatives arrest some 10 suspects who face prosecution.

In 2019, security operatives intercept over 900 stolen which dem dey try ship into Nigeria and Ghana.