Wanderlust Ghana Expedition Club has suspended its 30,000-kilometer Cross-Country Overland Expedition after learning that two of its vehicles, a 2016 Lexus RX 350 and a 2018 Toyota Tacoma, were reported stolen in Canada in 2019 and 2022, respectively. The vehicles were detected upon entering the Republic of the Congo, and both have subsequently been turned over to security personnel for investigation. The situation has been reported to law enforcement agencies in both Canada and Ghana. The expedition’s third vehicle, a Ford F150 Raptor, has been delivered back to Ghana from Pointe-Noir, Congo.
Wanderlust Ghana stressed that the automobiles were purchased from automotive dealers in Accra, Ghana, after extensive due diligence, including paid Carfax verifications that showed clean records at the time of purchase. The group is fully working with the continuing investigation and is determined to hold anyone found to be involved for the incident accountable.
In addition, Wanderlust Ghana intends to take legal action against the vehicle vendors. This incident shows a growing problem of stolen vehicles from North America being sold on Ghana’s open market, and Wanderlust Ghana aims to work with the US and Canadian diplomatic missions in Ghana to initiate a campaign to combat the issue. This effort will also aim to educate the public on how to reduce the risk of purchasing stolen vehicles. Despite this setback, the team reflected warmly on their adventure thus far, having traveled 28,811 km across 28 countries in Africa, Europe, and the Middle East to promote Ghana’s tourist potential.
The group thanked all of its partners and the general public for their support, as well as Ghanaian diplomatic missions and diaspora groups.
Source: Citinewsroom
