A Maori group claiming sovereignty of Northland is issuing its own licence plates, warrants of fitness and registrations, claiming they're as legitimate as the real thing. But none of them are issued by the New Zealand Transport Authority.
The group says the Crown has no authority in Northland, but police say the warrants are a fraud and the people selling them are putting lives at risk.
They come from a Maori incorporation, Nga Uri Whakatupu Ngati Hine, whose members believe they can issue the documents themselves.
"Basically a Maori incorporation is a state outside of Government," says fake warrant holder Phil Saleh. "Maori are entitled to their own jurisdiction and their own laws."
The stickers bear the Maori for warrant of fitness, "whakamana waka", and say they're authorised under the "Native Waka Motor Vehicle Act 2005".
Mr Saleh got his for free, though most people pay, and he says there are many others like him.
"To my knowledge there's at least 50 people in Northland. I would say across New Zealand [there] could be hundreds."
The group claims every car issued with a warrant has been inspected, and the Crown has no sovereignty in Te Tai Tokerau. That doesn't sit well with Te Tai Tokerau's MP, Kelvin Davis.
"It's just a scam and I get annoyed with people who set out to scam our people," says Mr Davis. "It costs $250 for one of these fake warrants. If the police pick them up then it's another $250 fine. So really they're just hurting our own people and they're making money at the expense of our people."
Ricky Siosoua is a mechanic in Rawene who has come across four cars sporting fake warrants, some of which weren't even close to roadworthy.
"As soon as he opened his door, his door fell off," says Mr Siosoua. "I mean, that tells me a lot."
He's not the only one with safety concerns.
Police say the warrants are illegal documents, which are putting road users at risk of harm. They're investigating fake warrants across the Far North and warning anyone who is caught selling them could be investigated for fraud and charged.
Newshub.
