HA NOI (VNS) – While police admit that Tran Nhat Duat Street in Hoan Kiem District has dozens of shops making illegal car and motorbike registration plates, they also claim there is little they can do about it.
Local authorities also say they have not found effective ways of controlling production and trade in fake plates.
The 800-metre street, running along the Hong (Red) River dyke from Long Bien Bridge to Tran Quang Khai Street, has shops capable of producing any type of number plate.
Chu An Thanh, deputy director of the Hoan Kiem District Police, said his men could not resolve the problem because the shops’ activities were sophisticated.
“Whenever they see the police, they immediately hide the objects they are working on,” said Thanh.
“Catching the makers is very difficult and needs professional skills and careful investigations into the existence of criminal rings,” he said.
Thanh added that the punishment given to those caught was only a fine and that this was not strong enough.
Illegal number plates were not considered to be goods for sale so the law had no specific regulations to control plate makers, he said.
However, earlier this month, Hoan Kiem Police did catch a man making fake number plates at his motorbike repair shop in the street.
The man, named Vu Ta Tuoc, admitted that each set of automobile number plate was sold at VND400,000 (US$19) and each motorbike plate sold for VND150,000 ($7).
Nguyen Anh Tuan, head of the district’s Economic Crime Investigation Police Team, said that district police were compiling a list of fake plate makers and setting up plans to eliminate the industry.
In the short term, police have joined hand with local authorities to strengthen management of the illegal trade.
They have also asked shop owners in the street sign a commitment not to produce fake plates. – VNS
Police unable to stop trade in fake plates Related image(s)
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