Headlines:
| Police in Trinidad seizes vehicles in corrupt network |
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| Thursday, 08 January 2009 | |
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Law enforcement officers in Trinidad
and Tobago have seized 60 vehicles in an investigation
into a corrupt network involving used car dealers, auto repair garages,
licensing officers and driving instructors at the San
Fernando, Chaguanas, and Port
of Spain Licensing Offices. The Trinidad Express reported that police say registration fraud is believed to be so big that there may be tens of thousands of vehicles on the nation's roads that were stolen or improperly registered. A police officer, who allegedly paid $5,000 to become a legal owner, was one of the several persons arrested by Fraud Squad officers engaged in dismantling one of the biggest and deepest rackets in the country. In a top secret operation by police on Monday, there were simultaneous raids at the Ministry of Works and Transport offices. It involved policemen, who came in two buses, soldiers, and members of the Crime Suppression Unit and Guard and Emergency Branch and eight tow trucks. Fifteen vehicles were taken from the compound of a well known garage. Police believe the cars taken from two murdered taxi drivers ended up in the racket. It reported that fees of 5 and 10 thousand dollars were paid to destroy the registration documents of the cars and prepare new paperwork to produce a certified copy with the new owner's name. The massive and extensive investigations are continuing. |