The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service has retrieved 43 high-end luxury vehicles, stolen from various countries and illegally shipped into Ghana between January and July this year.
The list of recovered cars includes top models from Rolls-Royce, Porsche, Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz.
The vehicles, according to the CID, were smuggled from Europe and North America into Ghana through organized transnational networks.
Speaking at a press briefing on Monday, August 4, 2025, the Director General of the CID, COP Lydia Yaako Donkor, said the operation was the result of close collaboration with both local 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,” COP Donkor stated.
She explained that the partnership made it possible to track stolen vehicles and identify criminal groups behind the illegal trade. Investigations revealed that these networks are also linked to serious crimes such as money laundering, insurance fraud, identity theft, and Visa card fraud.
The stolen cars traced to Ghana came from at least seven countries — including the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Spain, France, Canada, and the USA. These countries, she noted, are often targeted due to the high value of their vehicles and the efficient shipping routes available.
Previous operations, including INTERPOL’s Operation Safe Wheels in 2024 and early 2025, already highlighted Ghana as a key destination for stolen vehicles from Europe and Canada. That operation alone uncovered over 150 stolen vehicles across 12 West African countries.
Of the 43 cars retrieved this year, investigations for 18 have been concluded. Courts have ordered their repatriation, with eight already returned to their countries of origin. Ten others are awaiting clearance, while 25 remain tied up in court processes.
COP Donkor stressed that each case undergoes a rigorous process before a vehicle is impounded.
“For every vehicle that is impounded, thorough investigations are carried out, and importers are given the opportunity to provide proof of ownership or purchase from the countries of origin,” she explained.
She added, however, that most importers fail to provide any valid proof.
“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,” she said.
She further cautioned that paying customs duties in Ghana does not equate to legitimate ownership.
“Payment of customs duties in Ghana does not mean that the vehicle was legitimately acquired from the country of origin,” COP Donkor warned.
The CID stressed that the sophisticated methods used in this trade, including altering Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) and falsifying documents, make cross-border cooperation vital. The ongoing collaboration between Ghana Police, GRA Customs, INTERPOL, and the FBI is part of a wider effort to dismantle these criminal networks.
