Police nab gang buying cars with dud cheques

abu dhabi — The Abu Dhabi Police have apprehended a group of six bogus car buyers who used to lure people online into buying their cars with dud cheques.

The gang used to buy the vehicles and gave dud cheques to the sellers, and then resells the cars at lower prices than their actual market value.

Brigadier Rashid Mubarak Al Mesmari, director of peripheral areas department of the Abu Dhabi Police, pointed out that the fraudsters lured the sellers into paying the full price of the cars being sold, then issued cheques in exchange to wind up the routine concession and registration procedures.

They then resold the cars and exported them via a showroom, which is involved in that crime, as well. Al Mesmari said Al Rahba Police Station received a complaint from a person, who reported that he had been subject to a con game.

The victim told the police officer that he was cheated by some people, who inspected his vehicle and agreed to buy it in the name of one of them for Dh90,000. He surrendered the car and collected the payment in cheques. However, he discovered later that his car was sold for Dh65,000 in another emirate in the country.

The investigation revealed that the same gang had defrauded other victims in the country, who gave up their cars in the names of people they do not know, before they collect the payment that they agreed on, he added.

The investigators managed to identify the criminals, and chalked out a plan to arrest them. The six gangsters confessed and were referred to the public prosecution to undergo further questioning.

Brig Al Mesmari called on the public to be on high alert and stick to the simplest security rules while selling and buying cars.

reporters@khaleejtimes.com