CID Recovers 43 Stolen Luxury Vehicles Smuggled into Ghana
The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service has recovered 43 high-end luxury vehicles stolen from abroad and smuggled into Ghana between January and July 2025.
Addressing a press briefing in Accra on Monday, August 4, Director-General of the CID, COP Lydia Yaako Donkor, disclosed that the recoveries were made possible through joint operations between the CID, the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), and international partners such as Interpol, Digipol, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
“We share intelligence on vehicles stolen abroad and imported into the country, as well as transnational organised criminal groups involved in the stolen motor vehicle trade and related crimes like money laundering, insurance fraud, identity theft, visa card fraud, among other transnational crimes,” COP Donkor stated.
The recovered vehicles include high-value brands such as Rolls-Royce, Porsche, BMW, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz, reportedly stolen from countries including the USA, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Belgium, Spain, and Italy.
Out of the 43 vehicles, investigations have been concluded on 18, with the courts ordering their repatriation to their countries of origin. Eight of those vehicles have already been repatriated, while 10 are pending repatriation. Legal proceedings are still ongoing for the remaining 25 vehicles.
According to COP Donkor, many individuals who cleared these vehicles in Ghana failed to prove legitimate ownership.
“In almost all the cases, those who clear the vehicles are unable to provide any proof of ownership or purchase from the countries of origin prior to importation. Let me indicate here that payment of customs duties in Ghana does not mean that the vehicle was legitimately acquired abroad,” she cautioned.
As part of intensified enforcement, the CID has formed a specialised task force to carry out intelligence-led operations targeting stolen vehicles. The task force has already impounded six additional vehicles—comprising four Toyota Tundras, a Toyota RAV4, and a Range Rover—reportedly stolen from Canada.
Providing insight into the criminal modus operandi, COP Donkor noted that syndicates often use fake identities to rent vehicles abroad before shipping them to Ghana and defaulting on payments. Others disable tracking systems or use fraudulent credit card information to acquire vehicles under hire-purchase arrangements before illegally exporting them.
“Some also import the luxury vehicles as a means of laundering proceeds from crimes such as romance fraud and extortion. Unfortunately, some innocent citizens fall victim and unknowingly buy these stolen vehicles,” she revealed.
The CID chief urged the public to exercise greater due diligence when purchasing imported vehicles.
“I want to take this opportunity to advise all citizens who want to purchase vehicles, particularly those imported from abroad, to go beyond requesting customs documentation and demand proof of purchase or ownership of the vehicle from the country of origin,” she advised.
The CID says it remains committed to enhancing inter-agency and international collaboration to disrupt the network of transnational vehicle crimes and protect the integrity of Ghana’s automotive import market.
