An Accra High Court has granted the Economic and Organised Crimes Office (EOCO) the power to seize vehicles suspected to have been stolen and smuggled into Ghana.
The freezing order granted by the court gives EOCO the power to impound 95 more vehicles in addition to 41 others seized earlier in collaboration with the US Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in December 2022.
According to a report by Asaaseradio.com, EOCO is engaging the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) to prevent any attempt to register or change ownership of any of the vehicles in question.
EOCO says it has gathered intelligence to the effect that about 400 luxury vehicles suspected to have been stolen from the USA and Canada had been brought into the country.
The said vehicles were alleged to have been obtained through fraud and other crimes and shipped into the country, with some being displayed for sale in a number of garages in Accra.
EOCO in collaboration with some foreign intelligence agencies in December last year, seized a number of the stolen luxury vehicles.
Thirty-seven luxury vehicles were retrieved from some garages and 10 persons arrested in the exercise.
Four additional vehicles were later retrieved, bringing the total number to 41.
According to EOCO, the cars were retrieved from various garages located in Dzorwulu, Dimples, North Kaneshie, East Legon, Accra Central near the Movenpick Hotel, Dzorwulu roundabout, near the Fiesta Royale Hotel, and an area near the Trinity Theology Seminary.
The vehicles included BMW X7 and X5, 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.
