Police Investigate Allegations Of Fake Service Plate AB 23 Fortuner In Pekanbaru

DIY Police Traffic Director Kombes Yuswanto Ardi/ANTARA/Luqman Hakim

YOGYAKARTA - Yogyakarta Special Region Police (DIY) collaborated with the Riau Regional Police to investigate the falsification of AB 23 service number plates installed on a Toyota Fortuner car in Pekanbaru, Riau.

"We have coordinated with the Riau Police Traffic Directorate to conduct an investigation. We are still waiting for the results from the Riau Police," said Traffic Director of the Yogyakarta Regional Police, Kombes Yuswanto Ardi, as reported by ANTARA, Friday, July 18.

Previously, it emerged after a video of a Fortuner car with AB 23 service plates driving on Jalan Jenderal Sudirman, Pekanbaru went viral on social media.

The car was caught turning on the hazard lights and paving the way for the ambulance, raising public questions about the validity of the plate.

Based on the results of checking through the systemelectronicregistration and identification (ERIC), said Yuswanto, the valid AB 23 service number plate was used on the Toyota Innova car belonging to the DIY Public Works, Housing, and Mineral Resources Energy Service (PUP-ESDM).

Therefore, he said, the plates attached to Fortuner in Pekanbaru can be confirmed to be fake.

"From ERIC data, the legal AB 23 service plate is registered for the Innova car belonging to the PUP-ESDM DIY Service," said Yuswanto.

According to him, this action is classified as document forgery, not just a traffic violation, which can be charged with Article 263 of the Criminal Code with a maximum threat of six years in prison.

"So if the forgery of the number plate is a criminal article, it's not a ticket," he said.

Learning from this case, Yuswanto reminded the public not to carelessly use license plates that are not in accordance with vehicle registration certificates.

"We have conveyed to the public, do not use a number plate that does not match what is stated in the STNK because it includes a criminal act of forgery," he said.

The Intermediate Public Relations Committee (Coordinator of Public Relations) of the DIY Kominfo Service, Ditya Nanaryo Aji, said that the Head of the DIY PUPESDM Service, Anna Rina Herranti, had never used a Toyota Fortuner vehicle as seen in the video.

"I have confirmed to the Head of the Yogyakarta PUP-ESDM Service directly to Mrs. Anna. He said he had never used a vehicle like the one in the content," said Ditya.