- 5 arrested as DCPO, LTO bust counterfeit ring in synchronized Davao raids
JOINT LAW enforcement teams dismantled illegal vehicle license plate manufacturing hubs in Davao City on Thursday, Sept. 3, arresting five shop operators and confiscating high-grade fabrication equipment.
The San Pedro Police Station, City Intelligence Unit, City Investigation and Detective Management Unit, and the 1st and 2nd City Mobile Force Companies, Land Transportation Office Central Office, Regional Intelligence Division XI, and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group XI conducted the raids.
They arrested five shop owners and employees while allegedly fabricating and selling unauthorized vehicle plates.
Authorities also seized 66 illegal license plates, marked buy-bust money, official transaction receipts, and specialized machinery used in the illicit trade, including plotter cutters, metal molders, and mechanical press tools.
Davao City Police Office chief PCOL Peter Bauzon Madria said that fake vehicle plates are frequently used by criminal syndicates, illegal transporters, and hit-and-run drivers to evade police detection and obscure vehicle ownership.
The arrested suspects face criminal charges for Falsification of Public Documents (Article 172 of the Revised Penal Code), Possession of Implements for Falsification (Article 176, RPC), and violations of Republic Act 11235, or the Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act, as amended by RA 12209.
Madria warned that non-compliant shops face immediate closure, permanent equipment forfeiture, and severe legal consequences.
Force multipliers trained to spot fake plates
Meanwhile, the DCPO and LTO held a lecture and workshop on Thursday, Sept. 3, at Sandigan Hall inside Camp Captain Domingo E. Leonor, in observance of the 32nd National Crime Prevention Week.
Madria and PMAJ Jake C. Goles, City Community Affairs and Development Unit (CCADU) acting chief, spearheaded the initiative in partnership with the LTO XI and Highway Patrol Group XI.
The training focused on technical indicators used to identify fictitious, altered, or illegally manufactured license plates.
Officials aim to expand real-time intelligence gathering and strengthen grassroots traffic enforcement.
In his address, Madria stressed that curbing vehicular crime requires active public collaboration alongside traditional law enforcement measures.
“Crime prevention is a shared responsibility. Through this lecture, we empower our personnel, force multipliers, and partner stakeholders to be more vigilant in identifying criminal schemes such as the use of fictitious plate numbers,” Madria said.
