Action against transport document forgers

by Mohammed Naalir

A special flying squad comprising eight persons is to be set up in the Transport Ministry within the next two weeks to crack down on personnel providing fake documents such as car permits and other transportation related material. The assistance of the Police Department will also be obtained by this unit, Deputy Transport Minister Rohana Dissanayake said. The Deputy Minister said the unit would conduct raids in the surroundings of the Motor Traffic Department at Werahera and Narahenpita and Sri Lanka Transport Board headquarters to nab persons engaged in distributing forged driving licences and certificates.

Deputy Minister Dissanayake further said such persons cheat the people who come to the Motor Traffic Department for various purposes.

Distributing fraudulent driving licences and other certificates take place on a large-scale in the surroundings of the Narahenpita Motor Traffic Department.

According to Dissanayake, such fraudulent persons operate with the blessings of certain officers attached to the Motor Traffic Department.

He said forged driving licences are the main cause of the accidents that took place in the recent past.

The Deputy Minister stated that a large number of vehicles registered with forged chassis numbers were also taken over by the Police and Customs Departments.

Legal action will be taken against such persons even though they are attached to the Motor Traffic Department, he said.