In the city of Nefteyugansk, prosecutors say the head of the local police department and a number of traffic police officers face charges of forgery and abuse of power after they authorized the registration of a Toyota Land Cruiser that bore damaged markings. The event was reported by a Telegram channel known as Ural Mash.
According to the channel, a police colonel who led the case contacted a traffic police inspector, a person he knew personally, to arrange the vehicle’s registration while the colonel was on vacation. The SUV could not be registered because the engine number and VIN code did not align with standard records, yet the officers allegedly addressed the problem with the help of a traffic police specialist who examined the vehicle and reached conclusions that supported a favorable registration outcome.
Suspicious activity were noticed around the SUV, prompting the traffic police to attempt registering it under alternate VIN numbers. The subsequent examination revealed that the vehicle had been in a different region on the days when inspections were supposed to take place. The Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case charging officials with forgery and abuse of power, and investigators are pursuing the facts of the case.
Separately, reports indicate that imports of used cars into Russia had seen rapid growth, with June showing a sharp rise of about 181 percent in comparison with the previous period. This broader context helps explain heightened scrutiny around vehicle registrations, VIN irregularities, and the integrity of vehicle records in the region. (Source: Investigative Committee, official statements and regional news updates.)