By JO-MARIE BROWN
Forged chassis numbers and parts from Subaru motor vehicles stolen in Auckland have been used to re-identify and rebuild unroadworthy vehicles imported from Japan.
The scam, involving more than 50 damaged and "test" Subaru cars imported by Penrose company Access Sub Spares, has been revealed in the Auckland District Court.
One of the company's directors, Rex Frederick Coubray, aged 39, of Bucklands Beach, yesterday pleaded guilty to 18 charges of receiving, forgery, and obtaining documents with intent to defraud.
Damaged wrecks brought in from Japan for as little as $1000 either had their chassis numbers used to re-identify cars stolen in Auckland or were rebuilt using parts from the stolen vehicles.
Forged chassis numbers were also attached to unroadworthy vehicles and at least 20 Subaru cars were passed off to the Land Transport Safety Authority as genuine Japanese imports.
Police prosecutor Christine Scott said many of the imports were Subaru "test" cars that had been kept aside by the manufacturer in Japan to ensure that vehicle assembly quality and standards were being maintained.
Subaru Japan never intended the vehicles to be used on the road and cut the chassis numbers from their firewalls to prevent the cars being sold.
The cars were supposed to be sent to a wrecker yard for destruction but Coubray's company managed to buy them cheaply and ship them to New Zealand.
The safety authority does not issue vehicle identification numbers, warrants of fitness or applications for registration to vehicles that have had their chassis numbers cut from firewalls or to any vehicle that has had a firewall added.
Judge Jeremy Doogue was told yesterday that Coubray's company had circumvented this safeguard by inserting forged chassis numbers into the firewalls of these "test" cars, creating the appearance that they were legitimate, roadworthy vehicles.
In other damaged vehicles, the original firewall containing the chassis number was removed and replaced with a firewall from another vehicle.
Coubray arranged for the forging of Japanese deregistration forms, which were required in New Zealand to prove that the imported vehicle met the manufacturer's safety standards.
The documents were then used to convince vehicle inspectors that the Subarus had been genuinely imported.
Vehicle identification number plates, warrants and applications for registration were issued and some of the cars were then sold to unsuspecting motorists.
A search warrant executed on Access Sub Spares found numbering stamps used to restamp stolen engines and new chassis numbers, cut-up parts of stolen vehicles such as doors and speedometers, and five of the stolen cars themselves, each of which had been re-identified.
The registration plate from one stolen vehicle was found cut up into small pieces and discarded in a nearby rubbish skip.
Coubray admitted the offences during a seven-hour interview with police on Wednesday, and will be sentenced late next month.
Three other men associated with Access Sub Spares have plead not guilty to similar charges.
They were remanded on bail to reappear for a pre-depositions hearing next month.
Reject imports sold to Kiwis
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