BMW driver installs high-tech system to swap number plates
Hyderabad: A drunk driver driving a BMW was caught using a high-tech system to swap number plates and avoid traffic fines in Jubilee Hills. The traffic police left stunned as the accused tried to trick them with remote operated Chinese flip number plates. The driver had installed a system that could change by swapping the vehicle’s registration number by pressing a button near the steering. On Friday night, the Jubilee Hills traffic police discovered a car with a mechanism to change its registration number plate at the press of a button. The incident occurred during a special drunken driving on Road No. 1, Jubilee Hills. During the search, the traffic police intercepted a BMW car and found the driver, identified as Goutham, driving under the influence of alcohol. A breathalyser test revealed Goutham’s Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) level at 137 mg/100 ml, well above permissible limits.
According to police, the accused remained silent and stopped sharing his details. As he was non-cooperative, the police asked him to get out of the vehicle. As the driver was intoxicated, a police constable moved the vehicle to clear the road. The car was an automatic; the constable accidentally pressed a button on the ride side of the steering. The pressing of the button changed the number plates leaving the traffic police surprised. Revealing that the car was using two different registration number plates.
The car registration number – DL 6 CM 7079 and was changed to TSFQ 9999. The police checked the chassis and engine number and confirmed that the car’s actual number is DL 6 CM 7079. The police immediately seized the car and generated an e-challan for driving in an intoxicated condition.
The Jubilee Hills Traffic Inspector N Ravinder said that a complaint has been lodged with the Jubilee Hills Law & Order police against Goutham for tampering with the vehicle’s registration plate and using a deceptive mechanism. An investigation is currently underway to examine the origin and legality of the number plate switching device.
