Jakarta. The Jakarta Police revealed on Wednesday the dismantling of a syndicate involved in the production and sale of counterfeit license plates and vehicle registration documents at premium rates to specific buyers.

The forged license plates, replicating those designated for state agencies, the military, and the police, were being sold at prices ranging from Rp 55 million ($3,544) per piece.

During a press conference at the police headquarters, three suspects identified by the initials YY (45), HG (46), and PAW (38) were presented, while another suspect remains at large.

"They have distributed hundreds of counterfeit license plates, ranging in price from Rp 55 million to Rp 75 million," said Brigadier General Yusri Yunus, director of vehicle registration and identification within the Police Traffic Corps (Korlantas).

Yusri added, "The buyers were evidently affluent people due to the exorbitant prices."

The syndicate was also manufacturing counterfeit vehicle registration documents, locally known as STNK, indistinguishable to the naked eye from authentic ones, Yusri said.

According to him, the forged documents could only be detected using a security hologram reading device.

The suspects were also altering expired documents, erasing original data with chemical substances and replacing them with falsified information, he said.

The investigation unraveled when a traffic police officer questioned the authenticity of a license plate on a vehicle he was tasked to escort. The plate bore confidential alphabetical codes registered under the Religious Affairs Ministry, yet database verification revealed it to be counterfeit.

Further inquiry led to the arrest of the ring members.

The suspects face charges of document forgery, carrying a potential prison sentence of up to six years.

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