By LETRE SWEETING

Tribune Staff Reporter

lsweeting@tribunemedia.net

AN investigation into a fraudulent licence disc ring has resulted in the arrest of a man and a woman found with fraudulent licence disc equipment at their residence.

Chief Superintendent Michael Johnson, the officer in charge of the criminal investigations department, told the press yesterday: “At present, we are able to say that we have two persons in custody, a male and a female. We executed a search warrant on their residence, and we recovered a number of fraudulent licence disc equipment that we believe was used to produce these items.”

CSP Johnson said: “We have been conducting road checks, and we were able to stop a number of persons, checking their driver’s licence and disc that are on the vehicles. We discovered that a number of persons were in possession of these fraudulent licences and licence discs. So we are conducting a major investigation, which is still ongoing.”

While commending officers, Mr Johnson warned the public not to obtain car licensing documents unofficially.

“Because of the great work that the officers are doing out there in our Secure City Operation, Ceasefire and all the other operations that are out there on the street, we were able to bring this matter to some conclusion,” he said.

“It’s an ongoing investigation, and there are a number of persons that we still have to see in relation to this investigation.

“I would like to caution persons that if you do not go about the legal process of obtaining a driver’s licence or having your car licensed, you could find yourself before the court being arrested and charged for possessing these documents. So I admonish you to please go to the proper channels and have these items secured by yourself.”

Updates in this investigation follow a preliminary report that last Tuesday, shortly before 6pm, police officers stopped and searched a Nissan Bluebird vehicle in the Meadow Street and Hospital Lane area.

The 41-year-old woman driver of the vehicle was arrested after a police investigation of the car led to the discovery of the fake licence disc on her vehicle’s windshield.

After further investigations and checks with the controller of the Road Traffic Department, police confirmed the licence disc was fraudulent.

Police later received additional information leading to the arrest of two men, ages 40 and 48, believed to be involved in a fraudulent licence disc network.