Stolen Cars Being Sold With Forged Documents

[george]

Stolen cars being sold with forged documents

CHIANG MAI: -- A gang of bogus second-hand-car dealers has been forging car-registration documents to con customers in Chiang Mai into buying stolen cars.

This new trend in car-crime came to light when one victim tried to extend his car tax at Chiang Mai Transport Office.

Officials noticed that some of the information in the vehicle-registration book was false, said Autsathai Rattanadilok Na Phuket, head of the Chiang Mai Transport Office. He said the counterfeit was so good that members of the public would be easily fooled.

The unnamed victim, who is living in Chiang Mai, bought the car a year ago at a knock-down price. He met the gang by accident at a second-hand-car showroom in Chiang Mai. The gang drove the car to the man’s house for him to view and when he decided to buy the car, the gang handed over the counterfeit registration documents.

Police believe the man bought the car in good faith, said Autsathai.

However, it appeared the gang was alerted to the officials’ involvement before police could inspect the car and they returned the victim’s money and took the car away. The gang was clever enough not to leave their contact numbers with the customers, added Autsathai.

“If we had inspected the car, we would have known where it had been stolen from and whether it was [imported] from outside the country,” said Autsathai. The policeman added that he believed there to be a lot of counterfeit registration books in circulation.

The gang might be part of an international gang of car thieves, he said, adding that this new form of car-crime was proving very difficult for the authorities.

-- The Nation 2005-03-14