A new technology that will help the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and other law enforcement agencies in the country track stolen vehicles faster has been launched.
Known as ‘stolen checks’, the new product unveiled by VehicleCheck, an international car database company based in Canberra, Australia, will reveal the exact location of a vehicle under search, no matter how long it has gone missing.
By simply logging on to the company’s website or using its app and inputting the vehicle identification number of an automobile, users, especially personnel of law enforcement agencies, will be able to get desired results.
According to VehicleCheck’s Executive Vice President for United States, Canada and Africa, Mr Idowu Banjo, the product was introduced to curb car theft, which has become a menace in Nigeria over the years.
He said, “This service is a game changer in many ways because it will strengthen the work of the Nigeria Police and other law enforcement agencies in the aspect of recovering stolen vehicles in the country.
“By simply logging in to vehiclechecks.net, users can easily input the VIN numbers of their vehicles and discover their current location.
“In fact, the system can help the Nigerian Customs Service prevent vehicles stolen in United States, Canada from coming into the country. By simply using our system to check the entire details of a vehicle, the agency will be able to tell which one was stolen from elsewhere and prevent it from coming into Nigeria.
“The various law enforcement agencies can use the system to verify if a vehicle is stolen across multiple regions, including the United States and Canada, before being sent down to Africa.
“By entering the VIN, users can access our extensive database to confirm the vehicle’s status. This precaution can save you from future legal complications and financial losses associated with unknowingly purchasing a stolen vehicle.
“By utilising our service, you can ensure the vehicle’s status is clear, thus protecting yourself from potential legal and financial troubles.”
Banjo further disclosed that individual users of the service will require a police report in order to properly locate their stolen automobiles.
He noted that Nigeria is a favourite dumping ground for stolen automobiles from around the world.
In 2021, the Federal Government revealed that 40 per cent of vehicles brought into the country were stolen from elsewhere.
The situation has caused sellers and buyers a lot of concern over the years, especially when reported and tracked down to the country by international security agencies.
