Police clamp down on "illegal" cars

There have recently been notifications on the Police web site here that a series of road blocks would be set up in different places in an attempt to catch people who come to live here and drive from their own countries, but who do not re register their cars onto Spanish plates. Apparently they are liaising with the DVLC in this clamp down.

Taking a friend home today we remarked that there seemed to be a lot of gruas on the road going the opposite way to us.

A little further on we found out why. A road block. There were at least 8 police vehicles and around 15 policemen from the Trafico Dept. The road had been cordoned off into a narrow lane that all vehicles had to pass through, both sides, going up and going down. I think they must have been doing illegal cars, drink driving and drugs all at the same time. One of the police vehicles had the big flashing "Drink,Drugs" sign on the roof.

As our turn came we could see there were another 4 cars that had been pulled out and parked in the lane they had marked out for vehicles that were not going to be driven any further. The first thing they looked at on my car, was the windscreen to check there was a current ITV sticker (MOT), then my driving licence and car documentation. I had no concerns, everything is legal. I don't drink and I don't use drugs.

It was quite funny though to see some people trying to turn round and go back to avoid the check, but they couldn't, there was nowhere to go.

I imagine that today's check will cost a few people quite a lot of money, and probably more trouble having to make their own way to wherever they were driving to.

I don't know how long this particular clamp down is scheduled for, but nobody knows where and when the next one will be.

I'm not ashamed to say I have little or no sympathy for those caught, they break the law, they must be prepared to take the consequences.

It will be interesting to see how the campaign went when the reports actually get onto the web site, and no doubt the local newspapers.

Re: Police clamp down on "illegal" cars

Should do similar here, particularly on motorway in Kent. We saw some really dangerous vehicles came off the continent straight onto our roads. Lorries too I'm convinced some polish drivers aren't sober !

Re: Police clamp down on "illegal" cars

Our police use Number Plate Recognition (NPR) cameras in their cars which pick out those without driving licence- road tax - MOT. This way the flow of traffic isn't halted.

Re: Police clamp down on "illegal" cars

It happens here Julie, and you would be amazed at the amount of lorries etc that have come from another country that are totally un road worthy . Drivers that do not have correct documentation, have driven over hours.
They are taken to a park at the border post and if the are unfit for the road they are not allowed to go on until the company has paid to make the lorry fit for the road, also they are fined a lot of money. These lorries and drivers I might add are in the main Eastern European,
Some of the things found wrong on a regular basis are frightening

In our nearest town the have a vehicle check point and on certain days every lorry is pulled and checks carried out , there is no escape

Re: Police clamp down on "illegal" cars

Not many do.

Only a very few Traffic cars carry ANPR though they do use static cameras as well they are still fighting a losing battle as most crooks use cloned vehicles which ANPR wont detect.

As for illegal cars, there are many, many illegal drivers using cars from their homeland which won't show up on our database. Only physical stop and checks will identify these.

Re: Police clamp down on "illegal" cars

We have customs and excise stops constantly. Illegal diesel is what they are looking for, esp on the border towns

Re: Police clamp down on "illegal" cars

These checks are not always confined solely to tax, licence etc. They often combine drink, drugs, illegal immigrants etc. As I mentioned in my post, the Alcohol/Drugs unit were there too.

Re: Police clamp down on "illegal" cars

Same here too Norway. Often they have the sniffer dogs go over the lorries and cars too. Last year a British lorry stopped was checked by the dogs, thousands of pounds worth of some drug or other was found hidden inside boxed up central heating units. These "smugglers" really do get very inventive.

Re: Police clamp down on "illegal" cars

There's nothing quite like a Guardia road block/search point when drugs are the main concern.....the amount of other illegal activities they turn up is beyond belief.

The coast road(N34) from Gib through the Costa del Sol is a main target.

Re: Police clamp down on "illegal" cars

Indeed Tpin, it´s no holds barred when it comes to road checks. The one yesterday wasn´t on the N332, it was on a B road, I suppose you would call it, sort of between two golf clubs and two commercial centres where there are lots of bars and restaurants. They certainly were not taking prisoners, things not quite right, then you´re driving no further.

Personally I have no problem with these checks, my car is legal, I am legal, I don´t drink alcohol, a glass of wine with a meal perhaps, but never been known to finish one, and I don´t carry illegal substances. I think it´s good that the police do their job, too many people get away with running around in illegal cars, and if it catches a few illegal immigrants and criminals at the same time, then I think it´s good work.