Motorists were tonight warned not to be conned in to buying stolen cars following the theft of official vehicle paperwork in the UK.
More than 20,000 blank Vehicle Registration Certificates have been stolen from the Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) in Wales.
Gardai are warning motorists buying a used car 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 gardai or police immediately.
These Certificates (V5C) 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 gardai. "If members of the public wish to check whether a certificate is genuine, prior to purchase of a vehicle, they should contact the Stolen Motor Vehicle Investigation Unit."
The unit is based at Harcourt Square, Dublin 2, on telephone number 01 6663320 to 25 (6 Lines) or alternatively they call the Helpline at the Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency, Swansea at 0044 870 241 1878.
PA