The Ghana Police Service, through its Criminal Investigation Department (CID), has recovered 43 high-value luxury cars between January and July 2025, stolen from abroad and shipped to Ghana.
These vehicles, including Rolls-Royce, Audi, Porsche, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz models, were stolen from countries across Europe and North America and illegally imported into Ghana.
This was revealed by the Director General of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, COP Lydia Yaako Donkor, at a press conference today, August 4, 2025.
She attributed the success to enhanced collaborative efforts with various national and international agencies.
“The administration has stepped up efforts to fight vehicle crime by working in close collaboration with other national agencies, including the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority, and international partners like INTERPOL and the FBI,” DCOP Donkor stated.
This collaboration facilitates the sharing of intelligence on vehicles stolen abroad and their illicit importation into Ghana, as well as information on transnational organized criminal groups involved in the stolen motor vehicle trade.
The CID’s investigations have uncovered that these criminal networks are often linked to a web of other serious transnational crimes, including money laundering, insurance fraud, identity theft, and Visa card fraud.
This highlights Ghana’s growing role in global criminal supply chains, often as a destination or transit point for illicit goods.
The recovered vehicles originated from at least seven countries: the Netherlands, Spain, Belgium, Canada, the USA, Germany, Italy, and France.
These nations are frequently targeted by international car theft rings due to their high demand for luxury vehicles and efficient logistics networks.
Previous INTERPOL-coordinated operations, such as “Operation Safe Wheels” conducted across 12 West African countries in late 2024 and early 2025, have also highlighted Ghana’s increasing prominence as a destination for stolen cars from Canada and Europe, with over 150 stolen vehicles detected in that operation alone.
Out of the 43 impounded vehicles, investigations have been completed for 18, and courts have issued orders for their repatriation to their countries of origin.
COP Donkor confirmed that eight of these vehicles have already been repatriated, while 10 others are awaiting the necessary procedures for return. Cases involving the remaining 25 vehicles are still pending in various courts.
COP Donkor emphasised the rigorous investigative process involved in each impoundment.
“It is important to note that for every vehicle that is impounded, thorough investigations are carried out and the importers are given the opportunity to provide proof of ownership or purchase of the vehicles from the countries of origin,” she explained.
However, a recurring pattern has emerged: “It is sad to note that in almost all the cases mentioned above, those who clear the vehicles in Ghana are unable to provide proof of ownership or purchase of the vehicles from the country of origin prior to their importation into Ghana.”
This strongly suggests complicity or negligence on the part of importers in Ghana.
A critical point reiterated by the CID Director is that simply paying customs duties in Ghana does not legitimise the ownership of a stolen vehicle.
“Let me indicate here that payment of customs duties in Ghana does not mean that the vehicle was legitimately acquired from the country of origin,” DCOP Donkor stressed.
This statement serves as a warning to potential buyers and importers, urging them to conduct thorough due diligence beyond just customs clearance.
The illicit trade in stolen vehicles poses significant challenges for law enforcement, as criminals employ sophisticated methods, including altering Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) and falsifying ownership documents to evade detection.
This ongoing operation by the CID, GRA Customs, INTERPOL, and the FBI underscores the global nature of vehicle crime and the necessity for cross-border cooperation to dismantle these criminal networks.
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