The FCT Police Command has impounded more than 30 vehicles in its latest crackdown on unauthorized tinted glass, covered number plates and unregistered vehicles allegedly being used by criminals to evade detection and carry out crimes across Abuja.
Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Sanusi, said intelligence available to the Command showed that criminal elements, including suspected one-chance robbers and kidnappers, increasingly rely on such vehicles to conceal their identities and frustrate law enforcement efforts.
Speaking during a press conference in Abuja on Friday, CP Sanusi said the enforcement operation was aimed at improving public safety and denying criminals the anonymity they exploit while committing crimes.
“Intelligence reports at the disposal of Command indicate that many criminal elements deliberately use such vehicles to conceal their identities, evade detection, and frustrate law enforcement efforts. This poses a serious threat to public safety.”
The police commissioner said the Command had commenced a comprehensive enforcement exercise targeting vehicles operating in violation of existing regulations on tinted glass permits, vehicle registration and number plate visibility.
According to him, the operation is not directed at law-abiding residents who obtained legitimate approvals to use tinted windows but at those exploiting such features to aid criminal activities.
“Consequently, the FCT Police Command has commenced a comprehensive enforcement operation targeting vehicles operating in violation of these regulations. This exercise is not intended to inconvenience law-abiding citizens who have legitimately acquired approval to use tints on their vehicles, but it is to deny criminals the cover they exploit to perpetrate crimes against innocent citizens and FCT residents.”
Sanusi disclosed that more than 30 vehicles had already been impounded since the commencement of the operation.
“As part of this ongoing enforcement, over thirty (30) vehicles found to be operating with tinted glass, covered or obscured number plates, and without proper registration have been impounded.”
He warned that owners and operators of vehicles found violating the regulations would face prosecution in line with the laws of the federation and the FCT Road Transport Regulations 2023.
“The owners and operators of these vehicles will be charged to court in accordance with the Laws of the Federation and the FCT Road Transport Regulations (2023).”
The commissioner said the Command would continue to deploy intelligence-led policing and proactive crime prevention measures to safeguard residents of the nation’s capital.
He also urged members of the public to cooperate with the ongoing exercise and report suspicious vehicles, persons and activities to security agencies.
