Gardaí have warned motorists buying used cars to be vigiliant following the theft of vehicle paperwork in Wales.
More than 20,000 blank Vehicle Registration Certificates have been stolen from the Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency in Wales.
Those buying a used car are being advised to check the serial number that appears at the top right hand corner of the certificate.
If it bears the prefix BG and falls within the range BG 9167501 to BG 9190500, they are advised not to purchase the vehicle and contact the gardaí or police immediately.
These certificates are accompanying stolen vehicles that have their identity changed to match that of a legitimate vehicle.
"This practice is known as cloning," said a garda spokesman. "The cloned vehicles are sold to unsuspecting members of the public who suffer significant losses when their vehicles are confiscated by the gardaí.
He said those wishing to check certificates should contact the Stolen Motor Vehicle Investigation Unit at Harcourt Square, Dublin 2 - 01 6663320 to 25 (six lines) or the Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency, Swansea, at 0044 8702411878.