A male suspect is expected to appear in the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court after being arrested at the Alberton EMPD Vehicle Pound for allegedly possessing a fraudulent Vehicle Registration Certificate (RC1).

According to the EMPD, the arrest happened during an operation targeting unlicensed and unroadworthy vehicles in Alberton.

EMPD’s Overloads Control Unit officers were conducting routine enforcement when a man, believed to be in his late 30s, arrived at the vehicle pound to release a black Toyota RunX hatchback.

The vehicle had previously been impounded after officers found it “failing to display a valid licence disc, having no number plates, and being unregistered since 2005,” said EMPD in a statement.

They said the suspect paid a release fee of R3 100 at the service desk before attempting to remove the vehicle from the pound.

However, the situation changed when the team commander requested the vehicle’s RC1 certificate. “The suspect presented the document; however, upon inspection, it was identified as fraudulent,” EMPD stated.

Further investigations allegedly revealed that the vehicle did not belong to the suspect. The man was immediately arrested and charged with possession of a fraudulent Vehicle Registration Certificate.

He was detained at the Alberton Police Station and is expected to appear in the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court.

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