KUALA TERENGGANU: A total of 256 cloned car drivers have been blacklisted from 2015 to May this year for failing to appear in court, according to the Terengganu Road Transport Department (JPJ).

Its director, Zulkarnain Yasin said all the drivers who were blacklisted could not renew the road tax and licence and conduct all the other JPJ-related matters until their court cases were over.

“From 2015 until May this year, 51 cases of cloned cars in Terengganu were resolved, and the drivers paid fines in court totalling RM384,900,“ he told reporters at the JPJ Terengganu Aidilfitri dinner, here last night.

He advised people who bought cars at 50% lower than market prices to check with the RTD to prevent getting involved with car-cloning syndicates.

“The inspection service is provided free by the department’s Automotive Engineering Division to help the public not to be deceived by cloned car syndicates.

“These syndicates are very cunning, they claim that the vehicle is sold at a low price because it is a used vehicle when it is a cloned car. The syndication is also difficult to detect, for as soon as the deal is over, they will ‘disappear’ and their phone numbers are no longer in use,” he added. - Bernama