DVLA hands 357 suspected cloned vehicles to GRA over customs duties

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) recently seized 357 suspected cloned vehicles and transferred them to the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA). This action took place on October 9, 2026, after the implementation of On-Board Diagnostics (OBD) devices to help verify vehicle identification details and detect irregularities before registration.

Chief Executive Officer Julius Neequaye Kotey explained that some people had allegedly imported vehicles into Ghana through unauthorized routes and used identification details associated with vehicles that had already paid customs duties. This situation allowed the same vehicle identification details to be used fraudulently, potentially leading to vehicles evading taxes and duties.

Kotey stated that the OBD devices enable the detection of cloned and uncustomed vehicles, which are subsequently impounded by Customs and handed over to GRA for appropriate taxation before registration. As of October 9, 2026, GRA records indicate that 357 vehicles had been impounded and transferred to the GRA. Kotey emphasized that the intervention aimed to safeguard government revenue, enhance vehicle registration integrity, and prevent vehicles with questionable import or identification records from being registered without proper scrutiny.