Ghana’s Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) has seized more than 130 vehicles suspected of being cloned or brought into the country through channels intended to avoid import duties.
The seizures followed the introduction of new vehicle clone-detection technology, which has been incorporated into the DVLA’s vehicle verification and registration procedures.
DVLA Chief Executive Officer Julius Neequaye Kotey announced the operation in a statement posted on Facebook. He said the authority had begun using clone-detection machines known as OBD II scanners to strengthen checks on vehicles presented for registration.
The scanners are designed to identify vehicles that have entered Ghana through unauthorised routes and are unlawfully using the Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) assigned to legitimate vehicles awaiting registration.
A VIN is a unique identification code for a vehicle. The DVLA said criminals have been copying the numbers of genuine vehicles, creating a system in which illegally imported or otherwise disputed vehicles can appear to have legitimate identities.
Kotey said the technology would also address the problems faced by lawful vehicle owners whose vehicles are wrongly shown in the DVLA’s records as already registered.
Those errors occur when the identification numbers of legitimate vehicles are fraudulently duplicated and used on other vehicles. As a result, owners of genuine vehicles can be incorrectly flagged when they attempt to complete the registration process.
The DVLA chief described the new system as a proactive security measure intended to improve the accuracy, integrity and reliability of Ghana’s national vehicle register.
Since the clone-detection equipment was introduced, the authority said it had intercepted and seized more than 130 vehicles suspected of either having cloned identities or having been imported while avoiding the payment of the required duties.
The DVLA has not provided a breakdown of how many of the seized vehicles fall into each category. However, it said the action formed part of its efforts to prevent fraudulent vehicle identification and strengthen the registration process.
A temporary and flexible arrangement has also been put in place with the Customs Division, according to Kotey.
The arrangement allows owners of affected vehicles to regularise their position and settle outstanding import duty payments. It is intended to provide a route for vehicles linked to duty issues to be cleared through the relevant process.
The DVLA said the deployment of the scanners had produced a significant improvement in its ability to detect irregularities that might otherwise go unnoticed during vehicle verification and registration.
The authority’s announcement comes as it continues to rely on vehicle identification checks to distinguish legally registered vehicles from those using duplicated details or entering Ghana through unapproved channels.
