The Economic and Organised Crime Office collaborated with international law enforcement partners to recover several luxury vehicles in Accra. According to a report by Starr FM the vehicles are suspected to have been stolen from various locations in the United States and Canada before being illegally imported into Ghana for distribution and sale.
A report from Graphic Online indicates that the operation followed intelligence sharing between the Economic and Organised Crime Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Officials believe a sophisticated syndidate is responsible for altering vehicle identification numbers to bypass customs checks at the ports of entry within the West African sub region.
The Economic and Organised Crime Office stated in a public announcement that the seized cars include brands such as Mercedes Benz and Range Rover and Lexus. Investigators are currently working to verify the ownership of each recovered unit through the National Insurance Crime Bureau in the United States to facilitate the return of the property to the rightful owners.
Citi Newsroom reports that some individuals found in possession of the vehicles claimed they were unaware of the criminal origin of the cars. The Economic and Organised Crime Office has instructed all persons who purchased luxury vehicles from unauthorized dealers to report to their offices for inspection and verification to avoid potential criminal prosecution for possession of stolen property.