Ghanaian police recovers 43 stolen luxury cars linked to global theft rings

Ghanaian police have recovered 43 stolen luxury vehicles smuggled into the country by international crime syndicates between January and July 2025.

The vehicles, including Rolls-Royce, Audi Q8, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Porsche, were originally stolen from eight countries, including Canada, the U.S., Germany, Italy, France, and the Netherlands, authorities said.

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According to COP Lydia Yaako Donkor, head of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), the operation was possible thanks to a partnership with Interpol, the FBI, Digipol, and Ghana’s Customs Division. “This is the result of international cooperation. We are cleaning up our streets and protecting Ghana’s borders,” she said.

So far, 18 of the 43 vehicles have been cleared by the court for repatriation, eight cars have already been returned to their original countries, while 10 more are set to follow. The other 25 cases are pending in court, Donkor added.

“These vehicles were stolen and shipped across borders by well-organised criminal rings. But Ghana will not be a safe haven for stolen property,” Donkor stressed during a press conference in Accra.

UK police also reported that they have intercepted over 50 shipping containers filled with stolen luxury cars this year alone, signalling a wider global crackdown on high-end auto theft.

Security agencies say efforts are ongoing to trace more stolen vehicles and work with global partners to dismantle car theft syndicates. “This is just the beginning,” Donkor said.