DVLA says new technology has uncovered over 130 suspected cloned vehicles
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) says its newly deployed vehicle inspection technology has helped identify and seize more than 130 vehicles suspected of having cloned identities or evading import duties.
DVLA Chief Executive Officer Julius Neequaye Kotey said the initiative is part of the authority’s wider digital transformation programme aimed at modernising vehicle registration and combating fraud.
Speaking in an interview on JoyNews’ The Pulse on Friday, July 24, Mr Kotey explained that the digital transformation involves several projects designed to improve the efficiency and integrity of DVLA operations.
A major component of the initiative is the introduction of cloning detection machines, which verify the authenticity of vehicle chassis numbers and provide a detailed history of each vehicle before it is registered.
According to him, the technology can detect altered or duplicated chassis numbers and reveal information such as whether a vehicle has previously been involved in an accident.
“The machine now gives us the complete history of the chassis number from the manufacturer to the present. It tells us whether the vehicle has been in an accident and provides other relevant details,” he said.
Mr Kotey said some individuals have exploited weaknesses in the registration process by using forged or duplicated customs documents to register vehicles for which the required import duties were never paid.
He alleged that some offenders obtain copies of legitimate customs documents through collaborators within the system and use the information to clone the identities of vehicles that have not met their tax obligations.
As a result, he explained, the cloned vehicle is sometimes registered before the genuine owner presents the original documentation, creating complications during the registration process.
The DVLA boss disclosed that since the technology was introduced about a month ago, more than 130 suspected vehicles have been intercepted and handed over to the Customs Division for further investigations.
He noted that the authority is currently allowing affected vehicle owners to regularise their duty payments under an arrangement with Customs, but warned that the concession will end once the digital system is fully operational.
Mr Kotey urged owners of vehicles with outstanding duty obligations to resolve the issue promptly, stressing that future offenders will face prosecution.
“Going forward, anyone caught will be prosecuted because it is a criminal offence. That period of amnesty is over,” he said.
The DVLA said its ongoing digital reforms are intended to strengthen transparency, curb fraudulent vehicle registrations and ensure that only properly documented vehicles are registered in the country.
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