Two held for tampering with registration number to reuse end-of-life vehicles

Acting on a tip-off, a team raided their workplace and found three cars in which one car chassis and engine number were tampered while two cars were in the process of being tampered with

Noida: Two scrap dealers were arrested on Thursday for allegedly purchasing cars that were damaged in accidents and then exchanging their registration and chassis numbers with those of end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) so as to extend their life and sell them to earn money, said senior police officers, adding that three cars, including an ELV, were recovered from their possession.

No petrol vehicle that is older than 15 years and diesel vehicle older than 10 years is allowed to operate on Delhi/National Capital Region (NCR), according to orders by the National Green Tribunal (2015) and the Supreme Court (2018). These rules are meant to cut down on the number of vehicles on the city’s roads with dated emission standards, said police (AFP/representational image)

No petrol vehicle that is older than 15 years and diesel vehicle older than 10 years is allowed to operate on Delhi/National Capital Region (NCR), according to orders by the National Green Tribunal (2015) and the Supreme Court (2018). These rules are meant to cut down on the number of vehicles on the city’s roads with dated emission standards, said police.

Manendra Pratap Singh, station house officer, Sector 63, said, “On Wednesday, police received information that two Bahlolpur-based scrap dealers were involved in tampering with the chassis and engine numbers of ELVs, financed, and stolen cars to sell them at a higher price in the second-hand market.”

“Acting on a tip-off, a team raided their workplace and found three cars in which one car chassis and engine number were tampered while two cars were in the process of being tampered with,” said SHO Singh, adding that police have taken them into custody and interrogated them.

“The suspects told us that they used to buy cars involved in accidents after the owners have collected the insurance money. After purchasing such vehicles, they would professionally exchange the registration, chassis and engine number with those vehicles that are not allowed to operate in Delhi-NCR,” said Singh.

He further said, “Recently, they bought a 2008 model car from Delhi and exchanged its registration and chassis number with those of a vehicle damaged in an accident. The suspects were involved in this tampering for the past sometime and efforts are underway to identify the cars that they sold previously after tampering with the chassis and registration numbers.”

“The suspects were identified as Akthar Ali, 33, who hails from Amroha and a resident of Ghaziabad, and Hakam Ali, 26, a resident of Amroha,” said Singh, adding that a case under sections 420 (cheating and dishonesty) and 414 (assisting in the concealment of stolen property) of the Indian Penal Code and further investigations are underway in the case.