The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) says its newly introduced vehicle inspection and verification technology has helped detect and intercept more than 130 vehicles suspected to have cloned chassis numbers or evaded customs duties.
The Chief Executive Officer of the DVLA, Julius Neequaye Kotey, said the development forms part of the Authority’s broader digital transformation programme aimed at modernising vehicle registration, improving transparency and tackling fraud within the system.
Mr. Kotey explained that the digital transformation programme comprises several initiatives designed to improve the efficiency of DVLA operations. One of the key interventions, he said, is the introduction of specialised cloning detection machines that enable the Authority to verify the authenticity of vehicle chassis numbers and trace the history of vehicles before they are registered.
According to him, the technology can detect whether a chassis number has been altered or duplicated and also provide detailed information about a vehicle’s history, including whether it has previously been involved in an accident.
“The machine now gives us the history of the chassis number from the manufacturer to date. Whether the car has been involved in an accident or not, it gives us all these,” he said.
Mr. Kotey explained that some individuals have exploited weaknesses in the vehicle registration system by using forged or copied customs documents to register vehicles whose required duties have not been paid.
He said some offenders allegedly obtain copies of legitimate customs documents, sometimes with the assistance of individuals within the system, and use the information to clone the chassis numbers of vehicles that have not fulfilled their tax obligations.
“They use that photocopy, that chassis number on it, to clone the car that has not paid duty and come and register it first. When you, the original owner, now come to us, it becomes problematic,” he explained.
The DVLA CEO said that since the new detection system was introduced about a month ago, more than 130 vehicles have been intercepted and handed over to the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority for further action.
He added that the DVLA currently has a temporary arrangement with Customs to allow owners of affected vehicles to regularise their outstanding duty payments. However, he warned that the arrangement will be discontinued once the Authority’s full digital system becomes operational.
Mr. Kotey therefore urged vehicle owners who have outstanding customs obligations to regularise their status, warning that individuals involved in future offences will face prosecution.
“Henceforth, when we arrest you, we’ll prosecute you. Because it’s a criminal offence. That level of amnesty is over,” he stated.
The DVLA says the ongoing digital reforms are intended to reduce vehicle registration fraud, improve accountability and ensure that only properly documented vehicles that have met all legal and customs requirements are registered in Ghana.
Story by Freedom Etsey Lavoe