The Ghana Police Service has intercepted more than 11,000 vehicles nationwide as part of a crackdown on the unauthorised use of sirens and strobe lights, a senior police officer said Monday.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Alexander Kwaku Obeng, Director in Charge of Education, Research and Training at the Motor Traffic Transport Department (MTTD), said officers had intercepted 11,292 vehicles across the country’s 25 police regions since the operation began about a month ago.

“In the process we have removed all the sirens and strobe lights among others from these vehicles,” Obeng told journalists in Kumasi.

The operation is targeting vehicles fitted with sirens and strobe lights without the required authorisation under Ghana’s regulations.

Obeng said 1,736 vehicles had been intercepted in the Ashanti Region alone as of Monday morning, making it one of the regions with a significant number of vehicles affected by the exercise.

He said the crackdown was aimed at enforcing existing regulations and preventing the unauthorised use of equipment intended for designated emergency and security vehicles.

“It is also about the fact that vehicles that are equipped with sirens and that is not permitted under the regulation are unlawful and they should remove it immediately,” he said.

The police have been conducting targeted operations across the country as part of the enforcement exercise.

The use of unauthorised sirens and strobe lights on private and other non-designated vehicles has raised concerns over motorists attempting to gain priority on public roads and potentially impersonating authorised emergency or security services.

The police said the exercise would continue as authorities seek to ensure compliance with regulations governing the installation and use of such equipment on vehicles.