Joint police, justice operation nets 19 vehicles

File photo / Martin Sykes

Nineteen vehicles whose owners have outstanding fines of more than $66,000 were seized in a two-day joint operation by police and Justice Ministry staff in Hamilton this week.

Others who wanted to avoid having their cars seized paid up $8400 on the spot, Hamilton strategic traffic unit chief Sergeant Phil Ruddell said today.

"The high visibility operation focused on drivers who were driving in breach of their graduated driver's licence, those who had no licences and those who had been disqualified from driving.

"It also focused on people who had defaulted on fines payments or who had not made any attempts to pay fines," Mr Ruddell said.

Police also impounded 13 vehicles from drivers who were disqualified or forbidden from driving and found another 10 who had never held a driver's licence.

More than 300 infringement notices were issued for a range of offences, but primarily for drivers breaching the conditions of their licences.

One driver was arrested after allegedly trying to flee the checkpoint as he did not have a licence.

- NZPA