The case of Ngoc Trinh's driving instructor being prosecuted, what can we see from buying a fake license?

Recently, the Ho Chi Minh City Police Department has prosecuted and temporarily detained Tran Xuan Dong (36 years old, residing in District 4) for using fake documents of agencies and organizations and disturbing public order. Dong is a driving instructor for model Ngoc Trinh.

The investigation agency determined that Tran Xuan Dong had purchased a large-displacement motorcycle with fake papers for use. The suspect stated that although he knew the motorcycle registration certificate was fake, he still intentionally bought the motorcycle with license plate number 59A3-115.88, BMW brand, for its cheap price.

The need to sell fake vehicle documents is not a rare case. Just type the phrase "driver's license test" on Facebook, there are dozens of private and public groups with the participation of thousands of people. Inside these groups, every day there are dozens of posts selling cheap motorbike and car driving licenses, and driver's license test packages for people who "don't have time".

Groups buying and selling fake driver's licenses are on the rise.

Although the authorities have repeatedly investigated and handled cases of buying and selling fake driver's licenses, the buying and selling of fake driver's licenses has continued to recur recently, openly on social networks. They operate under the guise of a "driving test center" to advise and sell fake driver's licenses.

Posing as a guest, the reporter contacted a page called "Teacher HP Driving Test Center" through an advertisement on Facebook.

After texting, pretending to buy a driver's license, the page immediately responded: "Please leave your phone number for specific advice." When the reporter sent the number, a person contacted back, introducing himself as Phat, an employee receiving documents at a driving test center based in Ho Chi Minh City.

Vụ thầy dạy lái xe cho Ngọc Trinh bị khởi tố, thấy gì từ việc mua bằng giả? - 1 — Fake driver's licenses and documents are being sold widely on social networks (Photo: screenshot).

According to this person, to get a class A1 driver's license, the buyer needs to pay 1.5 million VND. "We will submit the application to the center, then someone will take the test for you. We guarantee that all original documents are included, with the QR code of the Ministry of Transport. No deposit is required, when you receive the license, you check it, if there is any problem, just return it. In about 3 to 5 days, you will receive the license," this person advised.

Similarly, the reporter approached another group called "Make fake documents", which operates openly, with more than 55,000 participants. There are a series of posts selling fake driver's licenses and documents. "Accepting to make all kinds of documents, specializing in making pink books, red books, savings books, registration stamps, driver's licenses, personal papers,...", that is one of hundreds of invitations posted for customers.

Contact a person named HA in the above group, this person claimed to be the main source of production and direct supply of driver's licenses without intermediaries. "If you buy in large quantities, we will have a reasonable price. If you buy 20 sets or more, each set of motorbike driver's license is only 1.3 million VND, car driver's license is 1.8 million VND", said HA.

To make the customer more confident, this person sent a series of fake driver's licenses and documents that he had just made to the customer. He said that to ensure the safety of both parties, the buyer needed to transfer 500,000 VND, then the seller would make a sample of the driver's license according to the customer's requested information and send a video confirmation.

Can be imprisoned up to 2 years

Speaking to Dan Tri reporter, an officer of the Traffic Police - Order Team in Ho Chi Minh City said that the driver's licenses and vehicle registration papers are forged very sophisticatedly, difficult to detect with the naked eye.

When working with violators, traffic police will look up driver's license information through a specialized application on mobile phones to detect whether it is real or fake. "On the application of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport, there is a lookup software, click on the information and you will know immediately," he said.

According to traffic police officers, when they know that a violator is using a fake license, the authorities will collect information and then report it to the leaders, requesting verification. The police will clarify where the violator bought the license to determine the next course of action.

People who want to have a driver's license to use a vehicle must register to study and take the test at the right place prescribed by the Department of Transport and reputable driving schools. People absolutely must not listen to advertisements on social networks such as buying a real driver's license without taking the test to avoid future consequences.

"Since the beginning of the year, the unit has discovered two cases of motorcyclists using fake licenses," an officer from the Traffic Police - Order Team of District 1 Police shared.

In addition, a traffic police officer from the Traffic Police Department of Ho Chi Minh City Police (PC08) said that when checking the driving license of a violator, the officer will go to the application of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport to look up the serial number, name, age, etc. for an initial check. If they want to know exactly, the traffic police must send the suspect driving license to the Department of Transport for verification.

Traffic police will only handle the case when there is a conclusion from the competent authority. At the same time, traffic police will send evidence to identify the fake driver's license to the police investigation agency to work with the buyer to clarify the place of purchase, purpose of use, etc.

Speaking to reporters and lawyers, Tran Minh Hung (Head of the Family Law Office, Ho Chi Minh City Bar Association) said that a driver's license is a type of permit or certificate issued by a State agency or competent authority to a specific person. These documents allow that person to operate, circulate, and participate in traffic by motor vehicles or other types of vehicles on public roads.

The competent authorities to issue driving licenses include: Vietnam Road Administration and Department of Transport in localities.

The act of forging driver's licenses and forging seals, papers, and documents of agencies and organizations such as: using fake seals, printing fake certificates, etc. is strictly prohibited under Vietnamese law because it violates administrative management order.

Crime of counterfeiting seals and documents of agencies and organizations; Crime of using fake seals or documents of agencies and organizations is regulated: Anyone who counterfeits seals, documents or other papers of agencies and organizations or uses fake seals, documents or papers to commit illegal acts shall be fined from 30 to 100 million VND, subject to non-custodial reform for up to 3 years or imprisonment from 6 months to 2 years.

"If the crime is committed twice or more, forging from 2 to 5 seals, documents or other papers; Using seals, documents or other papers to commit less serious crimes or serious crimes; Illegally profiting from 10 to 50 million will be punished with 2-5 years in prison," lawyer Hung cited.

According to Decree 100/2019 amending Decree 123/2021, drivers using fake licenses can be fined from 10 to 12 million VND. At the same time, the fake driver's license will be confiscated. In addition, according to Circular 12/2017 amending Circular 38/2019, drivers using fake licenses will not be granted a driver's license for 5 years from the date of discovery of the violation.

According to the lawyer, those who sell fake driver's licenses directly or through intermediaries will also be subject to administrative penalties similar to those forging driver's licenses or criminal prosecution for forging seals and documents of agencies and organizations as accomplices.

To prevent this behavior, according to lawyer Hung, the authorities need to consider raising the level of administrative penalties to ensure sufficient deterrence for violators and those intending to violate. If there are signs of crime, it is necessary to investigate, prosecute and strictly try, contributing to increasing the seriousness of the law in general as well as increasing the effectiveness of administrative management in the field of driver's license issuance.

In addition, it is necessary to strengthen inspection, management and coordination among competent authorities to promptly detect acts of producing and trading fake driver's licenses on the market and have strict handling measures for violations.

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