Law enforcement authorities in the capital of Uzbekistan have reportedly apprehended a foreign national accused of manufacturing and distributing counterfeit vehicle license plates. The case has exposed a troubling pattern of unauthorized vehicle modifications and the alleged involvement of minors in illicit automotive schemes.
Key Takeaways: A 17-year-old minor was initially pulled over in Tashkent driving a Malibu 2 equipped with illegal sirens and fake plates. Subsequent investigations led to the arrest of a Kyrgyz citizen in the Andijan region who was purportedly supplying the forged registration numbers ordered from abroad.
According to the press service of the Tashkent Main Department of Internal Affairs, traffic police officers stopped a Malibu 2 vehicle in the Yunusabad district for a routine document check. It was established that the driver was a 17-year-old teenager operating the car without authorization. The vehicle was allegedly outfitted with illegal special antennas, sirens, and flashing beacons, while the windshield was tinted without the mandatory permit. An additional registration plate was also discovered in the trunk. The youth claimed he had borrowed the vehicle from his older brother and obtained the license plate from an acquaintance.
The ensuing investigation revealed a broader network of similar violations. In the Mirzo-Ulugbek district, another vehicle, a Kia, was intercepted under comparable circumstances, also driven by a minor. That automobile was similarly equipped with illegal communication devices, sirens, and tinted glass, along with suspicious license plates. Authorities traced these counterfeit items to a Kyrgyz national who allegedly ordered the forged plates from abroad and resold them locally. The suspect was reportedly caught with physical evidence in the Andijan region.
The Yunusabad Criminal Court subsequently delivered its verdicts in the case. The underage driver was found guilty under relevant articles concerning the illegal use and fabrication of state registration plates, receiving a fine equivalent to 15 basic calculation units (approximately 6.6 million soms) following the application of mitigation provisions. Meanwhile, the Kyrgyz citizen was convicted of involving a minor in criminal acts and manufacturing counterfeit plates, resulting in a fine of 150 basic calculation units (66 million soms). Officials stated that the issue of deporting the foreign national from the country will be addressed after he fulfills his financial penalties.
Source: www.uznews.uz