Driver tampers with car details to re-sell, smuggle

dubai — A Syrian driver, who allegedly transferred the ownership of two expensive cars illegally after tampering with their plate and chassis numbers, has been charged in the Court of First Instance.

The 44-year-old man managed to get new car licences for the two vehicles after approaching unaware employees at the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) with the tampered plate number stickers.

The fraud allegedly took place in 2017 in Al Qusais.

Through his fraudulent methods, he managed to transfer the ownership of the vehicles from their original owners to a rent-acar office, owned by a 28-yearold Syrian businessman, who is also charged in the case. The bank mortgage part in the application forms and new licences was dropped.

The businessman has been accused of aiding and abetting and inciting the driver into the fraud and forgery after he had brought him the cars to make the necessary changes. He allegedly helped him fill the application forms with wrong details so that he can get the new licences.

The businessman also allegedly helped the driver use the forged papers by inciting him to visit the RTA and insurance companies, telling him he would bear all the administrative fees and insurance policies costs. Three other men — two Syrians and a Saudi — helped the main accused by either driving the cars to the RTA registration department or by securing a spot, like an auto showroom, to change the car plate numbers. They have all been charged in the case.

“We received reliable information at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) that the accused were presenting forged documents after tampering with car details and applying for new licences for the cars, to be able to transfer their ownership or smuggling them abroad,” a CID officer said.

“We verified the fraud to be true, based on a technical report from the General Directorate of Criminal Evidence of the Dubai Police and after contacting the sole agents. One of the cars was owned by an expatriate on a bank mortgage, but it was registered later in the name of a car rental office while intentionally omitting the bank mortgage in the registration process. The chassis number had been altered as well.”

The trial has been adjourned to February 14.