Three employees of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) were nabbed on Friday, January 26, after stealing license plates from the agency’s plate making plant in Quezon City.

LTO Chief Vigor Mendoza identified the suspects as embossers Jenard Arida and Arjay Anasco and warehouse staff Valeriano N. Labayno, all of whom were assigned to the plant.

3 sa 4 na empleyado ng LTO na suspek sa ‘pagpupuslit’ ng plaka sa planta ng ahensya, nakatakda nang inquest ngayong umaga | @dzrhnews https://t.co/ohc1w9Swyk pic.twitter.com/NSJvyWhyVR

— Christian Maño (@xtian_mano) January 26, 2024

“Based on the result of the investigation, they are selling the license plate at P10,000 per piece. We are now trying to determine how long and how many license plates have been stolen by these errant employees,” Mendoza said.

A thorough investigation revealed that the arrested suspects belong in an illegal scheme where a financier would acquire a vehicle and illegally sell it using duplicated plates. This financier would seek a fake plate from his contact inside the agency for P20,000 per plate, prompting an LTO personnel accomplice to illegally create these plates.

Mendoza likened the scheme to carnapping since motor vehicles did not need modification or tampering because it would otherwise constitute a crime which he deemed the syndicates were avoiding.

“The most important part of Technical Carnapping is the role of the con artist that usually fronts in the transaction by disguising themselves as the registered car owner during the disposal phase,” the LTO chief said.

“Hence, a backstop identification card and other proof that can support the belief that the con artist is the registered owner is essential in the documentation prior to the disposal of the motor vehicle. The con artist must have valid identification cards (falsified or bogus) that will match the name in the falsified registration documents,” he added.