The Daily Post newspaper intelligence has gathered that Ghana last year ranked number one in the world as the destination for stolen vehicles, mainly luxurious cars from Canada and Europe.
During the period, 4000 cars were stolen worldwide and out of the figure, 3,500 representing 87.5% landed in Ghana earning the country the discreditable record of topping the nations when it comes to destination of stolen cars. Armed with this unpleasant record, National Security has stepped up its operation across the country to make Ghana an unattractive destination for car stealing syndicate.
Currently at the Tema port alone, the eagle eyes of the National Security is focused on 262 containers which landed and stuffed with luxurious cars suspected to have been stolen, an indication that as usual, members of the syndicates are using the nation�s ports. Daily Post intelligence has uncovered the modus operandi used in clearing the stolen cars from the harbour. It was established that, to clear these stolen vehicles from the ports, the syndicate solicits the assistance of some officers from the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) and some clearing agents. This he said, they do by applying for an amendment to Bill of Ladings, a dispensation in the system which has witnessed a lot of abuse of late.
Interpol with a membership of 187 and headquartered in Lyon, France provides information on any stolen vehicle from member countries to the appropriate agencies for action. Sources again pointed to the fact that currently, the Ghana Police Service is yet to be linked with the U.S database on stolen vehicles from the U.S and Canada.
Daily Post has also gathered that National Security recently mounted an operation to locate at least 35 of the stolen vehicles which found their way into Ghana. They include 10 Lexus with reports coming mainly from Alexandra, Land rover and jaguar among others. Meanwhile, Interpol Ghana in 2007 re-shipped at least 10 stolen vehicles back to the U.S.
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