The operation was hatched following a tip from an informant of the illegal activity of Vener Mitra, 37, of Yuseco street, Tondo.
The informant reported that Mitra has been engaged in the illegal manufacture of license plates, according to MPD’s Criminal and Investigation Detection Unit chief Superintendent Romulo Sapitula.
"The services of the suspect could have been engaged by criminal syndicates who use tampered car plates in their activities," Sapitula said.
Wasting no time, Sapitula directed his operatives to conduct a test-buy, with Inspector John Guiagui acting as a buyer.
The officer negotiated with the suspect to manufacture a scooter’s license plate (TN-7128) for P300.
After several hours, the suspect returned with plates TN-7128 with a 2006 Land Transportation Office (LTO) 2006 sticker. When the marked money was received by the suspect, undercover policemen posted nearby arrested him.
Also recovered inside his residence were other tampered plates (PWK-433) and (PCM-961), four blank aluminum plates, assorted letters and numbers for molding of plates and one silkscreen with an LTO logo.
The suspect admitted having forged numerous car plates which he sells from P1,000 to P1,500 a pair. He said he has been doing this for several years now.
"This is alarming. This will only prove that there are several fake license plates out there in the streets," Sapitula exclaimed.
The inquest fiscal approved the charges of falsification of public documents (illegal manufacture of a tampered plate) against the suspect.