The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) has seized more than 130 vehicles suspected of being cloned or imported into Ghana through channels intended to evade the payment of import duties.
The development follows the deployment of new vehicle clone-detection systems as part of efforts to strengthen Ghana’s vehicle verification and registration processes.
DVLA Chief Executive Officer, Julius Neequaye Kotey, disclosed the development in a Facebook post on Tuesday, August 25, 2026.
According to Mr Kotey, the DVLA has integrated OBD II scanners into its vehicle verification and registration processes to help detect vehicles whose identification details may have been fraudulently duplicated.
The scanners are designed to identify vehicles allegedly brought into Ghana through unapproved channels and assigned Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) belonging to legitimate vehicles awaiting registration.
Protecting legitimate vehicle owners
Mr Kotey explained that vehicle cloning has the potential to create serious problems for genuine vehicle owners.
In some cases, legitimate owners may be wrongly flagged in the DVLA’s system as having already registered their vehicles because their VINs have been illegally copied and used on another vehicle.
The new technology, he said, will enable the Authority to identify suspected cloned vehicles during the verification and registration process, rather than waiting for problems to emerge after registration.
The initiative forms part of measures to improve the integrity, security and reliability of Ghana’s national vehicle register.
Temporary arrangement for affected owners
Following the introduction of the clone-detection systems, the DVLA intercepted and seized more than 130 vehicles suspected of being cloned or imported without the required duties being paid.
The Authority has subsequently established a temporary arrangement with the Customs Division to allow affected vehicle owners to regularise their vehicles and settle outstanding import duties.
The DVLA says the measures are intended to strengthen vehicle registration controls while protecting legitimate vehicle owners from the consequences of fraudulent VIN duplication and illegal vehicle imports.
