By Charlene Gatt
MARIBYRNONG drivers have been put on notice ahead of the silly season after a recent three-day traffic and crime operation detected nearly 80 road offences.
Using Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR), Operation Babels (III) ran from 8 to 10 December and saw police use the technology to target unlicensed, suspended and disqualified drivers as well as unregistered and stolen vehicles.
The operation uncovered 19 unlicensed, suspended and disqualified drivers behind the wheel, including a 24-year-old Point Cook man who had his vehicle impounded after he was detected driving while suspended.
Meanwhile, a 20-year-old Brunswick man was detected driving an unregistered vehicle while his license was suspended.
He was later arrested for evading police, refusing to state his name and address to police and resisting arrest.
The man’s car was one of 55 unregistered vehicles exposed in the operation. One L-plater was fined for failing to have a qualified driver accompany him and failing to display L plates.
Police breath-tested a total 303 drivers and uncovered a man and a woman who were driving in breach of their interlock device condition. They are expected to receive a summons at a later date.
Footscray Police Sergeant Dean Waters said police would continue to target high-risk drivers as the festive season continued.
“ANPR technology allows us to target motorists who should not be on the road,” Sgt Waters said.
