| Members of the road-policing unit set up a check point on the A92, near the Panmurefield Roundabout, as part of Operation Bandit, a three-day operation aimed at detecting travelling criminals and vehicle crime.
The operation started just after 8am and by noon today around 120 cars had been checked and six offences had been detected.
Sergeant Wilson Gove told the Tele the operation had been a success.
“We have very positive feedback from people stopped,” he said. “They all seemed to understand the reasons why we were carrying out the operation.
“We have also been giving out a lot of advice on vehicle safety and crime prevention.”
Running until Wednesday, the operation coincides with the Scotland-wide launch of the Festive Drink Drugs Driving Campaign.
A spokesman for Tayside Police said, “As well as detecting cars unfit for the road, documentation offences and other travelling crime, officers are determined to snare any drivers who choose to drink or take drugs and drive.”
Operation Bandit, which continues in Angus tomorrow and Perthshire on Wednesday, has received assistance from the Motor Insurance Bureau and HM Revenue and Customs.
Officials are undertaking roadside checks to ensure vehicles are fit for the road and that drivers have the appropriate documents.
They are also identifying any defective vehicles and testing for the use of illegal fuel. Where appropriate, officers have the power to seize vehicles.
At the heart of the initiative is the use of Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras, which can check up to 3600 number plates per hour.
The cameras can help determine if a vehicle has been stolen or used in a crime, and relay the information to officers in a matter of seconds.
“The police and their partner agencies will be actively seeking out travelling criminals and illegal drivers, as well as dangerous and stolen vehicles and any other crimes that comes to light,” added the spokesman. |
