▲A new license plate is installed on a new energy car in Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)
Beijing police have announced a crackdown on illegal transfers of license plates after a woman was found to have divorced 28 times to obtain Beijing plates, stunning netizens on China’s social media platforms.
The case was one of 124 targeted in a special campaign launched by local police to overhaul illegal license plate transfers through marriage, Beijing Evening News reported on Monday.
Since October 30, Beijing police have organized 16 branches and 510 police units in a joint effort to crack down on the entire criminal chain and illegal agencies involved.
A total of 166 suspects had been arrested as of Friday, 124 of whom were involved in fraudulently obtaining or buying Beijing vehicle plates with marriage certificates, police revealed.
In one extreme case, a woman, surnamed Bai, 26, got married and divorced 17 times and successfully transferred 15 license plates through these marriages.
Another suspect, surnamed Li, 37, had a record of 28 marriages and divorces in exchange for 23 license plates over the past two years.
Netizens on China’s Twitter-like Sina Weibo were stunned by the incredible number of marriages, and also suggested that Beijing ease its licensing policies to adapt to the growing demand from residents.