Police Launch Nationwide Crackdown On Plateless Vehicles & Illegal Sirens
The Zimbabwe Republic Police have initiated a countrywide operation targeting vehicles without registration plates and those fitted with unauthorized gadgets such as blue lights and sirens to curb rising criminal activities.
Delicious Mathuthu 
Harare - The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) have launched a massive nationwide operation targeting motorists operating vehicles without registration number plates and those using unauthorized emergency lighting and sirens.
The crackdown, which began this week, encompasses all vehicle categories including private family cars, corporate fleets, public service vehicles and government-owned transport.
Authorities stated the move follows a surge in criminal activities where offenders deliberately obscure their registration identities to evade law enforcement.
"The Zimbabwe Republic Police has noted with concern that some motorists are deliberately removing number plates to evade identification after committing offences such as armed robberies, kidnapping, [and] hit-and-run road traffic accidents," National Police Spokesperson, Commissioner Paul Nyathi, said in a statement on Tuesday.
Police officials also highlighted a disturbing trend among public service vehicle operators who remove plates to avoid accountability for traffic violations, such as driving against the flow of traffic or ignoring red lights.
Beyond identification issues, the operation is focused on the illegal installation of specialized equipment reserved for emergency services.
"Some vehicles are being fitted with illegal sirens, blue lights and bar lights which are reserved for authorized emergency vehicles," the statement read, adding that "this causes chaos on the roads."
The ZRP further warned that the proliferation of high-intensity bar lights has become a significant safety hazard for night-time drivers.
"Above all, the use of bar lights has also been noted to disturb the vision of other motorists at night, thereby endangering road users," the police said.
Under the new enforcement measures, any vehicle found without proper registration plates will be seized by authorities immediately.
Owners will only be permitted to reclaim their property once the formal registration process is completed.
"The Police advises the public that all plateless vehicles will be impounded forthwith and will only be released once proper registration process is [concluded]," the statement confirmed.
