Mogadishu police boss orders seizure of vehicles with no number plates

Benadir police commissioner Bishaar Abshir Ghedi has ordered police officers in Mogadishu to impound any vehicle without number plates.

The commissioner said on Friday at press conference in Mogadishu that there has been an increase in the number of cars without number plates, adding that they pose a security risk.

“It has come to the attention of the Government that certain vehicles operating on public roads have no number plates. The use of these cars without number plates is not only illegal but compromises national security,” said Ghedi.

He pointed out that the display or use of any vehicle with no number plates on a public road is an offence and the owner and driver of such vehicle would be committing an offence.

In Mogadishu, minister, MPs, and other government officials drive vehicles with no plates on grounds they would be easy targets of Al-shabaab

Security analysts say the speeding tinted vehicles with no number plates guarded by pickup trucks full of armed men in uniform also contribute to the insecurity in the city.

“The government should come with a way prevent this, government vehicles should be given especial signs such as Government of Somalia (GoS) to minimize the insecurity posed by these large number of vehicles with plates,” said Mohamed Omar, a security analyst in the city.

Traffic police have in the past raised questions over vehicles driven by ministers, UN and NGO officials of failing to display plate numbers in their vehicles.

A weak government system has has made it easy for criminal networks to forged number plates and other security documents further exposing the country to insecurity.

In the recent months, the city has seen number of attacks carried out by unknown people who drive vehicles with no number plates.