Omanghana
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority has detected and impounded more than 130 vehicles suspected of carrying cloned identification details or being linked to customs duty evasion.
DVLA Chief Executive Officer Julius Neequaye Kotey said the recoveries followed the deployment of new vehicle-inspection technology as part of the authority’s wider digital transformation program.
The technology includes OBD-II diagnostic scanners designed to retrieve identifying information stored in a vehicle’s electronic control systems. This information can then be compared with the physical Vehicle Identification Number and records held in the national vehicle database.
Vehicle cloning involves transferring the identity of a legitimately imported or registered vehicle to another vehicle brought into the country through unauthorized routes or without payment of the required import duties.
Fraudsters may copy VINs, registration numbers or customs documents from legitimate vehicles and use them to disguise the origin of illegally imported cars.
The practice can create serious problems for genuine vehicle owners. In some cases, a legitimate owner attempting to register a vehicle may discover that its identification number has already been assigned to another car.
People who unknowingly purchase cloned vehicles also risk losing their investments if the cars are confiscated. They may encounter difficulties with registration, ownership verification, resale and insurance claims.
Under the new inspection process, DVLA officers connect diagnostic scanners to vehicles presented for registration. The devices retrieve identifying data stored electronically by the manufacturer.
Officers compare that information with VINs displayed on the windscreen, chassis or other physical sections of the vehicle. The details are also checked against customs documents and the DVLA’s registration database.
A mismatch triggers further investigation and may result in the vehicle being impounded and referred to the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority.
Earlier in July, the DVLA disclosed that its clone-detection system had already led to the impoundment of 85 suspected illegally imported vehicles. Those vehicles were transferred to Customs for assessment and payment of the applicable duties before any lawful registration could proceed.
The authority says the higher number now detected demonstrates the scale of the problem and the role technology can play in closing registration loopholes.
The DVLA is implementing its Vehicle Inspection Management System to improve the monitoring of inspections, reduce manual interference and strengthen the accuracy of the national vehicle register.
Mr. Kotey said closer integration between the DVLA database and systems operated by other state institutions would also support road-safety enforcement and criminal investigations.
The planned network involves institutions such as the National Insurance Commission, Ghana Police Service, Ghana Highway Authority and the judiciary. Accurate vehicle information could also help investigative bodies such as the Economic and Organized Crime Office trace vehicles linked to suspected criminal activity.
The authority is additionally pursuing the introduction of RFID-enabled number plates to improve vehicle identification and make counterfeiting more difficult. DVLA estimates previously indicated that about 5% of number plates in its system could be fake.
The proposed plates are expected to interact with electronic readers installed at selected locations, allowing vehicles with invalid or duplicated registration details to be flagged.
However, implementation of the redesigned plate system depends on the completion of the required legal and regulatory processes. An earlier rollout was suspended because amendments to the Road Traffic Regulations had not received parliamentary approval.
The DVLA has outlined a proposed phased introduction beginning with government vehicles before extending the system to newly registered private and commercial vehicles.
Motorists have been advised to verify the registration, VIN and customs documentation of used vehicles before completing purchases. Buyers have also been urged to conduct transactions through recognized dealers and authorized state agencies instead of relying on intermediaries.
The DVLA says enforcement will continue nationwide as it works with Customs and security agencies to recover unpaid duties, protect legitimate vehicle owners and remove fraudulent records from Ghana’s registration system.
Source: Omanghana
