The Ghana Police Service’s Criminal Investigations Department (CID) has announced the establishment of a task force to disrupt transnational vehicle theft syndicates operating across borders.
The task force, according to the CID, will tackle vehicle-related crimes through the tracking and impounding of stolen vehicles brought into the country.
The Director-General of the CID, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Lydia Yaako Donkor, during a press briefing in Accra Monday, August 4, 2025, noted that this renewed efforts will augment what has began already to address the issue of stolen vehicles in the country.
“To further boost the fight against vehicle crime, a special task force has been set up by the CID administration to conduct intelligence-based operations and impound suspected stolen vehicles brought into the country,” she stated.
Some vehicles including Toyota models, one Toyota RAV4, and one Range Rover, believed to be stolen from Canada, have so far been seized by the task force.
DCOP Donkor indicated that they are conducting investigations to arrive at the circumstances that led to the illicit transportation of the vehicles into the country.
Meanwhile, preliminary intelligence, according to the CID, has it that some criminal networks abroad have been exploiting car rental systems by using forged identities to hire vehicles. While the rental agreements remain active, the vehicles are then secretly shipped out of the source countries to destinations such as Ghana.
She averred further that the sophistication of these syndicates, particularly their branding and model choices, suggests a deliberate effort to disguise the vehicles’ origins.
The Department is urging stakeholders in the vehicle industry, especially importers and buyers, to verify the legitimacy of all vehicles before purchase or registration.
As part of measures to prevent Ghana from becoming a hub for trafficked vehicles, the CID has noted that authorities are working in tandem with international law enforcement agencies to dismantle these networks.
Meanwhile, the Ghana Police Service, through its Criminal Investigation Department (CID), has recovered 43 high-value luxury cars between January and July 2025, stolen from abroad and shipped to Ghana.
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