Anti-Fraud Professional and Lecturer, Ransford Nana Addo Jnr, has called for stricter checks at Ghana’s ports and customs to stop stolen vehicles from entering the country.
Speaking on JoyNews’ AM Show during a discussion on the stolen car trade in Ghana and the recent case involving musician Shatta Wale’s vehicle, Nana Addo Jnr said the problem stems from weak surveillance systems at entry points.
“Irrespective of who is buying the vehicle, whether an importer or dealer, so far as it gets to the shores of this country or borders, if we are working with our international partners like the FBI and Interpol, and a vehicle is branded as stolen, we should ask the authorities questions – how did these vehicles get registered in this country?” he asked.
He noted that many Ghanaians assume cars cleared by customs are genuine.
“The average Ghanaian would take the duty document and car papers and say that so far as customs has actually stamped it, it is genuine. So if customs has given the go-ahead, and it goes through licensing, people assume the process is clean,” he said.
According to him, the real weakness lies at the ports. “I think the point where we need to tighten will be at the ports and our customs. Whether it is an importer or an individual, the collaboration between our security agencies has to be on point,” he stated.
He referenced the ongoing case involving Dancehall Artist Shatta Wale, whose vehicle was recently seized by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) after being flagged as stolen.
“Indeed, if this is a 2019 vehicle and we assume it was stolen about a year ago, by now it should have been flagged on the various portals of the CID, DVLA, and Customs division. We should not have waited for the FBI to come into town. If we had already received notification that this vehicle was stolen, then it should never have passed through our system in the first place,” he explained.
He added that even if international notifications arrive late, Ghanaian authorities should be able to trace and impound such vehicles before foreign agencies intervene.
“There are very luxurious vehicles in town being driven by some people, and you notice that the vehicle registration doesn’t match the year of manufacturing. That should be a red flag,” he cautioned.
Source: Clara Seshie
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