A staggering number of foreign plate cars have appeared in Africa. They are mostly from Canada and United States.
Most of these vehicles end up in Ghana.
The authorities have noticed a rise in the amount of vehicles being taken from the United States and heading to West Africa. An investigation is underway at the major shipping ports of New Jersey, Baltimore and New Jersey.
Homeland Security stated in August this year that they had seized over 300 vehicles stolen at Newark Port, a 32 per cent increase from the previous year.
With the push-tostart technology, carjacking is easier. By changing the unique Vehicle Identification Number or VIN of a car, syndicates can retag it.
In order to verify the ownership of the car, international gangs will then purchase a counterfeit Certificate Title. The vehicles are then sold overseas to buyers who plan on shipping them.
These vehicles may be sold by some gangs to commit other crimes such as drug purchases and money laundering.
Stolen cars are crudely packed in shipping containers before they reach Africa. Instagram stories from Nigeria show cars stacked up one upon the other.
ABC investigated and found cars stolen crammed inside shipping containers covered in mattresses.
TikTok footage shows a vehicle rolling out of storage. The vehicle appears to be owned by Lauzon Drive School, Canada. Their phone number is also stamped onto the car.
Most of the cars featured on Instagram’s @dpgglowauto account come from high-end brands, such as Mercedes Benz and Lexus. They also have Michigan license plates.
Dean Panzarino of Customs and Border Protection demonstrated how car thieves packed them into shipping boxes, padding them out with mattresses and attaching chains to wheels to suspend the cars. Many had been disassembled, and then reassembled on the continent of Africa.
Approximately 10 percent (or more) of all stolen cars from the United States will end up in other countries. HSI Agents look for anomalies in patterns relating to exports or imports. They also conduct random search.
Panzarino answered that he did not know the identity of the smugglers. I think that this will lead to a seizure.
Sometimes, cars can be intercepted and sometimes they aren’t.
Social media posts reveal the fate of cars sent to Nigeria. Some vehicles still carry US plates. They are also marketed with the term “foreign use”, which indicates that these vehicles may have been stolen, and they’ve probably been sent to another country.
TikTok user DPG Glow Auto advertises a dealership located in Onitsha. The account shows foreign-license plates and stickers being removed from shipping containers.
One white Toyota Corolla marked as “foreign” is imprinted with a Lauzon Driving School logo in Canada.
The window is rolled back and it appears the sunroof has been punched and covered with cardboard. It looks like the car is filled with packages.
In the comments section, there are numerous remarks such as ‘Right Out of Quebec’ (straight from Quebec) and a stolen Canadian car.
Instagram pictures of the dealership include license plates for California, Minnesota Texas and Florida. In several photos the same Florida plates is seen on different cars.
Instagram’s highlight of the day shows two sedans placed atop one another in a shipping box.
Some videos feature vehicles being removed by wooden ramps from the container.
There is a mix of older and newer models, including some luxury marques like Lexus Land Rover or Land Rover.
Jiji, the African online car marketplace, sells cars under the “foreign used” label. This is especially true for luxury models.
Brabus can be referred to as a German Aftermarket Tuning Company that specializes Mercedes Benz Vehicles.
Brabus sold a model from 2014 for 67.5million Nigerian Naira ($86,000 USD).
In an investigation conducted by CBC, dozens stolen cars from Ontario or Quebec were found in Ghana. In the majority of cases, registration and other insurance documents were still found in the glove compartment.
After finding a phone number certificate, the journalists contacted Len Green.
Reporter: ‘I think I sit in your vehicle that was stolen in West Africa’.
Green said, ‘There’s no way’. He described his wife’s horror when the car vanished from their driveway.
Around 3am, a vehicle pulled up in front of his house. Two men got up and approached the Acura. In just four minutes, it had vanished.
Det.-Sgt. Mark Haywood with Peel Regional Police said to the publication that an increasing number of stolen automobiles were leaving Canada.
“You’ll probably see around 80 percent going through ports,” he added.
CTV News’ journalists in 2022 contacted Ahmad Abdallah of Toronto after they discovered his vehicle, located near Lagos, Nigeria.
Abdallah was shocked when he saw the video for his Toyota Highlander 2017.
The man said: ‘There’s millions at stake…’ It’s important to take this seriously.
As in the United States, there is also a constant problem with vehicle theft.
In May, US Embassy Ghana posted on twitter that over 100 vehicles had been seized from US and Canada.
Ghana’s Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOC) is reported to have worked alongside FBI and US Department of State International Narcotics and Law Enforcement.
On the other hand, efforts have also taken place to try and prevent vehicles from ever leaving the United States.
US Customs and Border Protection initiated ‘Operation Terminus’ on February 13, 2014 to detect and recover vehicles stolen at the Port of New York and New Jersey.
The agency ended the 5-day operation on 17 February when it seized 23 vehicles that were being crammed in to shipping containers headed for West Africa.
Cars were heading to Togo Ghana Burkina Faso Monrovia Liberia. Their estimated value is $1.33million.
Three BMWs, and two Land Rovers, were the priciest items. The 2022 BMW X 5M was the most costly at $102,995.
Equite Association – a nonprofit which investigates insurance fraud for member insurance firms – released its yearly reports showing the vehicles most likely to be stolen in Canada by 2022.
Terri O’Brien is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the company. She said, “There’s no doubt about it: vehicle theft has become an issue that affects all citizens in this nation.”
The theft of vehicles by criminals in Canada is a fact.
She stated that Canada is being criticized as a country of origin for illicit trade.
The report 2022 showed that vehicle theft had doubled in some provinces, where there was data.
Ontario reported a theft increase of 48.3 % and Quebec, a theft rise of 50 %.
Bryan Gast said the VP of Investigation Services for the organization, that criminal techniques are continually evolving.
Equite Association wants the Federal Motor Safety Regulations to be updated. They were last revised in 2007. The laws are outdated and do not consider push-button technologies.
The non-profit organization, in a press statement dated August 20, 2023, called on Transport Canada for action.
Gast said that ‘criminals are taking advantage now of the outdated standard’. The criminals can exploit the vulnerabilities quickly and efficiently, and this has resulted in a significant rise of vehicles stolen across Canada.
Equite Association suggests that every vehicle be fitted with an anti-theft device. They should not be older than three years to keep up with modern technology.
In April this year, EOCO Ghana made public a list of the 95 vehicles stolen from the US. They also named the dealers where the vehicles were discovered.
The order was issued by the office to stop all sales of cars. Individuals and dealers were required to provide all necessary documents no later than May 31, failing which, law enforcement authorities would take them.
Abdulai Bashiru Dapilah’s deputy, Abdulai Bashiru Dapilah of EOCO told CBC about the threats his investigators received from armed groups. They begged Canada for help in stopping vehicles flowing to Africa.
However, Mr. McKay added: “No Canadian Agency has directly approached us nor made an official complaint directly.”
It doesn’t look like the issue will be resolved anytime soon. Authorities intercepted 18 vehicles, including a farming combine in Baltimore Port on September 1.
They were estimated to be worth $428.306.
Adam Rottman said that one of the major reasons the Port of Baltimore was a popular spot to steal cars is because of our shipping route.
West Africa has a large number of routes for shipping to West Africa.
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