Police, RTMC raid West Rand transport centre

Wednesday, October 24, 2018

Gauteng Roads and Transport MEC Ismail Vadi has welcomed a “search and seizure operation” conducted by police at the Rand West municipal vehicle registration centre on Wednesday.

The operation, conducted by SA Police Service and the National Anti-Corruption Unit of the Road Transport Management Corporation (RTMC), resulted in a temporary suspension of services at the Westonaria centre.

“They, together with members of the Insurance Crime Bureau, had combined their capabilities to uncover fraudulent transactions in the vehicle registration processes in Westonaria,” said Vadi.

The centre will remain closed to the public until further notice.

Vadi said provincial government was speeding up attempts to address the scourge of corruption within the vehicle registration system. 

“The public is heavily dependent on the integrity of the system to protect them from being targets of vehicle related crime and from unknowingly purchasing vehicles that originate from various crimes,” he said.

The investigation was prompted by an erroneous transaction performed at the centre.

“Consequently, audits were conducted and system users were identified who are suspected of being involved in the cloning of vehicles, wherein stolen vehicles are re-registered on the records of similar, non-stolen vehicles,” said Vadi.

The illegal transactions are linked to vehicles stolen and then re-registered on export records on the national transport information system.

The search and seizure operations are being conducted at the licensing centre itself and at several private premises.

Vadi said the current operation is part of an ongoing investigation into irregularities in Westonaria and at several other licensing centres in the province. – SAnews.gov.za