Motorists lose number plates as criminals exploit CCTV loophole

Motorists in areas including Alpes Road, Crowborough Phase 4, the Avenues, Warren Park, Chitungwiza and Borrowdale have reported plates being unbolted from parked cars — in some cases both plates, in others only the rear plate to delay detection.

In one case, a motorist who suffered a breakdown along Alpes Road returned from seeking help in Groombridge to find both plates, AHS 2080, missing. In another, a Crowborough resident woke to find his AHN 9989 plates stripped from a car in his driveway.

Police say the stolen plates are mounted on stolen, cloned or getaway vehicles. Because the numbers belong to valid, licensed vehicles, they appear compliant when captured by CCTV or at tollgates.

The Zimbabwe National Road Administration (ZINARA) has confirmed that tollgate cameras validate registration numbers rather than physical vehicle characteristics, meaning a vehicle carrying stolen plates will be granted passage if the licensing is up to date.

When a crime is committed, cameras record the false registration, sending detectives to the door of an innocent owner while the perpetrators have time to discard the plates and disappear.

Investigators say entertainment venues in the Avenues and other suburbs, as well as salvage yards holding wrecked or decommissioned vehicles, have become major sources for the trade, as thefts there can go unreported for weeks.

Security analyst and criminologist Tendai Mukuru said the tactic exposes serious vulnerabilities in the justice system.

“This identity cloning creates a dual crisis: it paralyses early investigative leads while actively weaponising the legal system against innocent citizens,” Mukuru said.

“When automated surveillance feeds corrupt data into police networks, the algorithm effectively frames the victim, giving violent syndicates a temporal shield to clear out of crime scenes entirely unhindered.”

He added that when a stolen plate is attached to a vehicle used in a violent crime, the innocent owner faces immediate legal risk.

“They face the prospect of armed police interceptions, night-time raids and rigorous interrogation while attempting to establish an alibi,” said Mukuru.

“For motorists who fail to notice or report the theft immediately, proving they were not involved in a downstream offence becomes a costly legal burden.”

National police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi has acknowledged that the theft and criminal misuse of registration plates has come to the attention of law enforcement.

He said public cooperation and rapid reporting are essential to counter the tactic.

“Whilst it has come to our attention now, people need to report these cases so that police investigations commence,” Commissioner Nyathi said.

“If you find out a number plate has been removed, urgently report to the police before it is used for criminal purposes.”

He said a police report provides a vital legal safeguard should the stolen plate later appear at a crime scene.