The Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) has cautioned the public against individuals who claim to be acting on behalf of the office to sell or recover vehicles.
Head of Legal and Prosecution at EOCO, Leo Anthony Siamah, said the office has observed attempts by fraudsters to extort money and deceive unsuspecting victims under the guise of recovering vehicles.
He stressed that EOCO has a comprehensive process for vehicle recovery and does not send individuals to carry out such exercises without proper documentation.
“If anybody comes to you that they are selling or trying to recover vehicles for EOCO, check their identity. Our official numbers are available online. You can call the office to confirm if anything of that sort is going on,” he said on TV3’s KeyPoints.
Mr. Siamah explained that vehicle seizures by EOCO are backed by official documentation and should not be released to anyone without verification.
He further revealed that many vehicles in the possession of high-profiled individuals have turned out to be stolen, even though they were not part of the initial list of 300 cars EOCO published earlier this year.
He warned that anyone who accepts stolen cars to keep, maintain, or conceal is aiding and abetting a criminal offence.
“Without the proper documentation, nobody should release their vehicles unless a properly identified officer from EOCO comes to you,” he stressed.
The caution comes in response to rising cases of fraudulent activity linked to vehicle recovery schemes.
Mr Siamah also cautioned Ghanaians to exercise due diligence when purchasing vehicles, following investigations that revealed thousands of stolen cars from the United States and Canada are being shipped into Ghana and other parts of West Africa each year.
He said the agency’s investigations have identified Dodge Rams, Ford F-150s, Honda CRVs, and Range Rovers as among the most commonly stolen vehicles trafficked into the sub-region.
“These four brands are the most frequent in terms of numbers, but it’s not limited to them. The issue cuts across both regular and luxury cars, though the high-end vehicles are more lucrative for criminals,” Siamah explained.
He disclosed that in 2022, EOCO, working with the FBI and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, received a database of about 300 suspected stolen vehicles in Ghana.
“Out of the 300, we were able to recover about 66. But what is worrying is that more than 70 percent of vehicles we intercepted, outside the original list, also turned out to be stolen. This shows the problem is much bigger, with some estimates suggesting up to 10,000 stolen vehicles may be entering Ghana each year,” he revealed.
Mr. Siamah rejected claims that EOCO operates in “Rambo-style” by stopping cars on the road.
“We do not randomly stop vehicles. Because we have a database, we are able to track them to garages, dealerships, or through asset investigations. Most of the 66 vehicles recovered were traced to garages where they were being sold,” he said.
On how the public can protect themselves, he advised car buyers to go beyond surface checks when making purchases.
“If you do not do proper due diligence, the law does not give you any cause of action against the person who sold you a stolen vehicle. So you need to take extra steps,” he cautioned.
He outlined several red flags for buyers to watch out for:
• Vehicles with tampered or missing rear-view mirrors, which often hide GPS trackers.
• Cars that appear almost brand new despite being sold as accident or salvage vehicles.
• Suspiciously low prices for luxury cars.
Mr Siamah also encouraged the public to use online verification platforms like Carfax, the U.S. National Insurance Crime Bureau, and Interpol’s Stolen Motor Vehicle Database.
“EOCO can also assist buyers to check the status of vehicles before they commit to purchases,” he added.
He stressed that collaboration with international partners will continue, but urged citizens to take responsibility.
“The market is very lucrative for these criminals. A Maserati stolen abroad and sold here for a fraction of its value still brings huge profit. That’s why due diligence is key. Don’t fall victim,” he said.
