Police uncover bogus RMV

Ten years in operation under the nose of RMV:

Wijayani EDIRISINGHE

The Colombo Crimes Division has uncovered a parallel Registrar of Motor Vehicles’ Department that had been operating a mobile service on the sly from a van right near the RMV in Narahenpita.

The racket had been going on for the past 10 years. Officers of the CCD have taken into custody three persons together with a host of vehicle registration documents including vehicle licences, receipts and sum of Rs 200,000.

The Van housing bogus RMV bore the registration No.60-6199.

The main suspect is a resident of Bingiriya while the others are from Rajagiriya and Manning Town in Narahenpita. Among the items seized were 100 newly printed driving licences, 50 Identity Cards, revenue licences, vehicle registration certificates, Vehicle transfer certificates and applications, temporary driving licences, medical certificates, reproductions of the official seals of the Registrar of Motor Vehicles and his Deputy, driving licences and certificates of the Sri Lanka Automobile Association for international driving licences, official seals, 700 international driving licences, stickers for old and new vehicles and a host of other documents.

The main suspect also had in his possession the Helvetica gate pass that is issued by the RMV allowing entry to its premises. It is suspected that the identity cards and the stickers seized were those belonging to the company authorized to print motor vehicle licences. Therefore the connivance of certain parties of the RMV in the racket is also suspected.

The bogus RMV had issued driving licences without any tests for a sum of Rs 15,000 each.Thousands of driving licences have been issued in this manner. Police are also hunting for the brokers who were part and parcel of the racket. The raid was conducted by a team of officers led by OIC Inspector Hemantha Dikowita under the supervision of SP Ranaweera acting on the instructions of DIG (CCD) Anura Senanayake.