ABU DHABI // Abu Dhabi Traffic Police have seized 21 vehicles with licence plates that were deliberately altered by their owners.
The cars had obscured or distorted plates, a ploy that is used by drivers to evade citations when they are flashed by speed cameras.
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The police have said they will intensify road patrols, use advanced technology and issue "severe penalties" to motorists who break the law.
Some of the drivers that were caught had reportedly used chemicals, while others bent the number plates or hung them by a chain.
Drivers can face imprisonment and a minimum fine of Dh20,000 for offences of this nature.
Col Hamad Nasser Al Baloushi, the head of traffic police for the external Abu Dhabi regions, stressed that heightened controls would result in stricter penalties for those committing traffic offences.
Col Al Baloushi said that new technology would be used by the traffic police that incorporates "smart modern techniques", including electronic-control devices and lasers that can determine if number plates have been covered.
If drivers are found guilty in court, their cars may be permanently confiscated.
