Border crime: use of temporary French license plates in cars sought by police on the rise

Catalan police have detected an increase in cars crossing the border with temporary French license plates, the so-called 'WW' car registartion plates.

These vehicles are commonly used because many criminals can go unnoticed and "hide the cars" with such license plates.

One major problem for law enforcement officers is that obtaining these plates "is very easy and quick," letting people drive with the temporary plates on display for 2-4 months before obtaining the definitive ones. 

The temporary plates are available through a simple procedure done online, paying €11, and they are often used on stolen vehicles or vehicles that are linked to other crimes, under the guise of legality.

The plates, however, have a distinctive designation tag, 'WW' at the beginning that indicate that they are provisional plates.

The increase in 'WW' plated cars have led to border security agents to increase surveillance. If such a car is spotted, authorities stop it and identify it.

The head of the Research and Documentation Group (GRD) of Girona, Carles Martos, explains to the Catalan News Agency (ACN) that it's common for the chassis number to be manipulated in cases of stolen cars.

David Garcia, of the Local Police of the border town of La Jonquera, explains that on many occasions these cars are used to "pay" debts between criminal gangs.

This, in practice, is a crime of documentary falsification, but the police point out that, usually, they find that there are more crimes linked to the vehicle and its driver.

However, Martos explains that they cannot prevent them from circulating, since French law provides that they can do so for between two and four months.