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The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service has recovered 43 high-value luxury vehicles that were stolen abroad and illegally brought into Ghana between January and July 2025.
This major breakthrough comes as part of a broader strategy to intensify the country’s fight against transnational vehicle theft and smuggling networks.
Speaking at a press briefing in Accra on August 4, 2025, Director-General of the CID, COP Lydia Yaako Donkor, credited the milestone to effective collaboration with the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority, alongside international law enforcement bodies such as Interpol, Digipol, and the FBI.
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The recovered fleet features elite automobile brands, including Rolls-Royce, Audi, Porsche, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz.
These vehicles were traced back to thefts reported in multiple countries, including the Netherlands, Spain, Belgium, Canada, the United States, Germany, Italy, and France.
Recently, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) intercepted a shipment of stolen vehicles at the Port of Virginia destined for Ghana as part of a heightened effort to combat international vehicle smuggling.
The high-end vehicles, mostly newer models, were estimated to be worth $150,000 in the U.S, but experts suggest they could have commanded even higher prices in Ghana and other parts of West Africa, where demand for imported cars continues to surge.
According to CBP reports, this operation is just one in a series of enforcement actions targeting transnational smuggling networks. So far in 2025, stolen vehicles worth more than $6.5 million have been seized at the Port of Virginia alone.
This revelation by Ghana’s CID that investigations into 18 out of the 43 recovered vehicles have been concluded comes in the wake of a recent interception in Europe. Ghanaian courts have since ordered the repatriation of these vehicles to their respective countries of origin.
COP Donkor confirmed that eight vehicles have already been returned, while 10 await repatriation. The remaining 25 cases are currently pending before the courts.
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, and Visa card fraud, among other transnational crimes
She said.
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COP Donkor also elaborated on the tactics used by international criminal syndicates to transport stolen vehicles across borders.
These include the use of forged identities to rent vehicles, disabling tracking devices, and defaulting on hire-purchase agreements after illegally acquiring vehicles.
She emphasised that importers often fail to provide legitimate documentation, raising concerns about the transparency of vehicle ownership in Ghana.
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. 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
She cautioned.
To strengthen enforcement efforts, the CID has set up a dedicated task force to lead intelligence-led operations targeting transnational vehicle crime. As a result, an additional six suspected stolen vehicles have recently been seized.
These include four Toyota Tundras, one Toyota RAV4, and a Range Rover, all linked to Canada.
COP Donkor further revealed that some criminals use luxury vehicle importation as a front for money laundering, romance scams, and extortion.
She warned that unsuspecting individuals in Ghana could end up purchasing stolen vehicles without knowing their illegal origin.
Others also buy and import the luxurious vehicles as a way of laundering illicit profits, apart from the criminal acts like romance fraud and extortion. Sadly, some innocent citizens fall victim and purchase vehicles that have been stolen from abroad
She lamented.
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In closing, the CID boss urged Ghanaians to exercise caution when buying 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 for the customs documents and demand from the importers some proof of purchase or ownership of the vehicle prior to its importation into the country
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She advised.
This successful operation marks a significant step in Ghana's ongoing efforts to clamp down on transnational organised crime and restore integrity within the vehicle importation sector.