Surge in Counterfeit Vehicle Documents Prompts Police Warning on Illegal Vehicles
Jakarta — The Directorate of Registration and Identification (Ditregident) of the National Traffic Police (Korlantas Polri) has warned the public about the dangers of illegally-documented or counterfeit vehicles following a surge in cases of forged vehicle registration documents (Surat Tanda Nomor Kendaraan/STNK) and vehicle ownership certificates (Buku Pemilik Kendaraan Bermotor/BPKB) across various regions.
Brigadier General Wibowo, Director of Regident at Korlantas Polri, urged the public to exercise greater caution and diligence when purchasing second-hand vehicles. “Ensure that vehicle documents such as STNK and BPKB are genuinely authentic by having them checked at a Samsat office or through available official services,” he stated.
Wibowo emphasised that the forgery of vehicle documents is a serious criminal offence that can cause material and legal harm to the public. He advised citizens to familiarise themselves with the distinguishing characteristics of authentic and forged vehicle documents.
According to Wibowo, authentic BPKB holograms are grey in colour and do not change appearance when viewed against light, whereas forged documents typically turn yellowish. The paper of authentic documents is also thicker and of higher quality, whilst forged documents are generally thin with blurred printing.
Authentic STNK and BPKB documents feature scannable barcodes that are linked to the police data system. The Police emblem on authentic documents also feels raised when touched and is clearly visible under ultraviolet light, whereas forged documents typically lack these features or they do not function.
To prevent becoming a victim of such crime, Wibowo recommended that the public take several preventive steps before purchasing second-hand vehicles. These include conducting a physical vehicle check at the nearest Samsat office through the official vehicle inspection assistance service, verifying document authenticity through the Samsat application or official online services, and being cautious of vehicles offered at prices significantly below market rates.
“Conduct a direct check at Samsat to ensure the authenticity of documents and vehicle identity. This step is important to protect the public from the risk of purchasing a vehicle with forged documents,” he stated.
Korlantas Polri will continue to strengthen surveillance and coordinate with regional police forces to eradicate the practice of vehicle document forgery, which harms the public and undermines the administrative system for motor vehicles in Indonesia.
Previously, a major vehicle document forgery case was uncovered by the South Kalimantan Regional Police in February 2026. The police successfully exposed a cross-provincial forged STNK and BPKB syndicate operating across Central Java, West Java, East Java, Yogyakarta, Bali, and Kalimantan.