The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) has confiscated over 130 vehicles believed to be cloned or imported into Ghana through methods intended to avoid import duties, following the implementation of vehicle clone-detection systems.
The DVLA Chief Executive Officer, Julius Neequaye Kotey, stated that the authority has incorporated clone-detection devices, referred to as OBD II scanners, into its vehicle verification and registration procedures.
Mr. Kotey made this announcement in a Facebook post on Tuesday, August 25, 2026.
He explained that the scanners are designed to detect vehicles that have entered the country through unauthorized channels, which unlawfully replicate the Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) of legitimate vehicles pending registration.
According to him, this technology will assist in resolving instances where genuine vehicle owners are mistakenly flagged in the DVLA’s system as having already registered their vehicles due to fraudulent duplication of their VINs.
The introduction of the scanners is part of efforts to enhance the integrity and reliability of Ghana’s national vehicle register, as stated by the DVLA CEO.
The authority noted that this technology serves as a proactive security measure by identifying suspected vehicle clones during the verification and registration stages, rather than depending solely on issues being discovered post-registration.
Since the launch of the clone-detection systems, the DVLA has intercepted and seized more than 130 vehicles suspected of being cloned or having been imported into the country without the necessary import duties being paid.
Additionally, the authority has set up a temporary arrangement with the Customs Division to enable affected vehicle owners to regularize their vehicles and settle any outstanding import duty payments.
