The People's Liberation Army (PLA) authorities are campaigning
to improve military vehicle management to crack down on civil
vehicles carrying counterfeit PLA plates.
Twenty-seven criminal groups involving more than 230 people have
been nabbed for stealing and counterfeiting military plates since
the campaign started in August, according to a report in Tuesday's
People's Daily.
More than 360 stolen military plates have been recovered, and
1,566 fake military plates and 1,258 fake military vehicles
confiscated.
The PLA authorities are also undertaking a campaign within the
PLA to improve military vehicle management, calling for military
drivers to abide by traffic regulations, after earlier reports
reprimanded them for intentionally jumping red lights and ignoring
traffic restrictions.
The fact that military vehicles do not have to pay expressway
and highway tolls in China has led to a rash of fake military
plates and vehicles.
Earlier reports said annual toll losses from the use of fake
military plates and vehicles in Chongqing, which has 750 kilometers
of expressway, amounted to 40 million yuan (US$5 million).
According to China's Law on Road Traffic Safety, vehicle drivers
can be fined 200 yuan to 2,000 yuan for using counterfeit plates,
and their vehicles confiscated by police departments.
The country's Criminal Law also stipulates that citizens
counterfeiting more than three military plates face prison
sentences of up to three years.
(Xinhua News Agency December 5, 2006)