Illegal licence stickers are being sold by workers in the ministry of finance and treasury (MOFT), it is reported.

A major police traffic operation yesterday exposed this illegal activity, with a lot of unlicensed vehicle owners owning up to police officers that they had bought their licence stickers at $300 each from finance officers working in the department that deals with licences.

Dozens of vehicles were impounded, it was reported.

The traffic operation demanded vehicle drivers produce licence papers to support the purportedly valid licence stickers on their wind screen – however, many of the drivers did not have any.

Licensed vehicles should have two items – licence papers and licence stickers, Kukum traffic police officers told Island Sun.

“Many vehicles caught today had licence stickers on their windscreen which purported validity on the vehicle, but when we asked the drivers for their licence and registration documents, they did not have any.

“And, these drivers tell us that they bought only the licence stickers over the counter from officers in the ministry of finance dealing with issuing of licences.

“This shows the vehicle owners had short-cut the process and bought these illegal licence stickers, which are meant to deceive traffic police officers doing road checks. Because, during normal road checks, traffic officers usually just look at the licence stickers on the windscreen and once the stickers are valid, they allow the vehicle to pass through.

“However, with today’s operation, all vehicle drivers were asked to produce licence and registration documents even though their licence stickers purported validity.

“And, as a result, we found that many vehicles were unlicensed and were carrying illegal licence stickers only.

“This corrupt practice was once rife at the ministry of finance, but was halted when JANUS cracked down on that crook network in 2016.

“Our traffic operation has proven rumours that this corrupt practice has again returned and is being carried out by corrupt finance officers,” the police officers tell Island Sun.

One of the drivers who wishes only to be called by his first name, Brian, said he was misled to buy the illegal licence sticker.

“A friend told me that the new process only required paying the licence sticker from the ministry of finance, and I was introduced to this young man at the desk there, and I gave $300 and he gave me this sticker.

“There should be awareness done for public, because it is easier now to buy vehicles, and many of us, we don’t know the process,” Brian said.

Following yesterday’s apprehension, Brian now knows the process to acquiring a licence for his vehicle.

Traffic officers told Island Sun that using evidence from yesterday’s operation, police will launch an investigation on this illegal sale of licence stickers by officers at the finance ministry.