It's not a rare occurrence to find cars of the same color, but what about cars of the same make and model that also share a license plate number? That's what happened in Shenzhen on February 15, when the Luohu Traffic Police Brigade received a report about two Maseratis that had the exact same appearance – right down to the license plate.
According to a Nanfang Daily report, the owner of the original Maserati, identified as Ms. Liu, had suspected the existence of a 'fake' before. She had originally bought her sports car back in 2012 for a cool RMB2.6 million. Last year, friends told her they had seen her Maserati out on the streets when it was in fact parked at home, leading Liu to suspect fraud. Consulting with Nanshan police, she also found that her car had been cited for three traffic violations she wasn't responsible for.
The mystery came to a head when on the afternoon of February 15, Liu's friend spotted the duplicate Maserati again, this time in a parking lot on Nigang Lu, in Luohu District. The friend kept watch over the car until the driver came back, then confronted the woman and contacted the authorities. Liu's Maserati was driven to the site so that the two cars could be compared.
When police arrived, they found the two high-end vehicles looking, well, identical. After an initial check, officers were puzzled to find that both plates had apparently been issued legally. The two cars were taken back to the station for further inspection.
According to Shenzhen Daily, the investigation eventually proved Ms. Liu right. The owner of the fake Maserati, a man whose last name is Zhao, is now suspected of forging certification for the license plate and serial numbers of his car. Police think his vehicle may have been smuggled from overseas. As of February 20, Zhao's case is still under investigation.
With additional reporting by Ziyi Yuan.
[Images via Nanfang Daily]
0 User Comments