Source: newsthemegh.com
The Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) of Ghana has reported seizing 95 expensive vehicles, which it has not yet been able to return to their dealers or owners.
Individuals who are in possession of these stolen vehicles must present them, along with all required documentation, to EOCO no later than May 3, 2023.
If the owners or dealers fail to self-report, EOCO stated that it would take legal action to seize the vehicles.
The cars were reportedly frozen by EOCO’s Executive Director, COP Police Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah, and approved by the High Court in accordance with section 33 of the EOCO Act, 2010, according to a statement released by EOCO on Tuesday, 18 April 2023. (Act 804).
The cars and the residences of the people who own them have already been identified by EOCO.
In December 2022, EOCO conducted an intelligence-driven operation in collaboration with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of the United States of America (USA) and Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) of Canada to recover a variety of luxury vehicles thought to have been stolen from the two North American nations.
The exercise was in response to reports about some suspected criminals’ activities.
Officers from the involved agencies went to six garages during the exercise, which took place at Dzorwulu, Dimples, North Kaneshie, East Legon, Accra Central next to the Movenpick Hotel, Dzorwulu Roundabout close to the Fiesta Royale Hotel, and close to Trinity Theological School.
At the conclusion of the coordinated action, 10 persons were detained and 37 automobiles were retrieved from different garages in Accra.
The automobiles, according to EOCO, were among 400 others that were taken from the USA and Canada and transported to Ghana.
BMW X7 and X5 models, Jeep Wrangler, Mercedes-Benz S-class, Mercedes-Benz GLE, Mercedes-Benz G, Audi SS, Range Rover LNDR, Jonder Odyssey, Benz 5350, Honda Accord, Lexus RX, Ford Explorer, Honda Pilot, and Acura RDX were among the high-end vehicles recovered.
A court decision allowing the seizure of some automobiles believed to have been stolen and trafficked into Ghana was obtained by EOCO in February 2023.
The court’s ruling also prohibited anyone from getting rid of the cars. The office had taken 41 automobiles from various car sales locations prior to the court ruling.
A few days ago, a Nat Geo video provided more information on how stolen cars are transported from the US to Ghana and how the VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) is changed to make it more difficult for security personnel to identify the cars as stolen.
The National Geographic Channel’s Mariana van Zeller investigation exposes the organization responsible for transporting some of the stolen vehicles to Ghana.
Sometimes, the VIN of a clean vehicle taken from the streets is changed with that of a salvage vehicle purchased at an auction, and this does not trigger any warnings while leaving the US system.
The film focuses on the actions of car thieves in the US and how they cooperate with individuals in Ghana to import the stolen vehicles.