The close to 40 private vehicles that were confiscated and have been held for months as part of an ongoing investigation into licensing and customs fraud are going through changes.
Yesterday, 7NEWS was at the Customs Department as the police were taking 10 of the vehicles for use as law enforcement rides. How can police use evidence in a still unfinished investigation? Well we're not quite sure, but it seems that the justification is that the department, with the approval of higher ups in the Ministry of Finance are citing the special circumstances brought on by the recent troubles to claim additional resources.
Over the last 6 months, the vehicles were all confiscated from private owners, many of whom had bought them in good faith, because the dealer, who has not been arrested, smuggled them into the country and then with the complicity of personnel in the City Traffic Department secured fraudulent licenses for them.
