HCMC auctions thousands of seized vehicles

As many as 12,845 motorbikes and cars seized in recent years are now state assets, according to statements made by the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Ho Chi Minh City Police Department at a press conference Thursday.

Of the vehicles, 3,955 have been auctioned, and the rest are awaiting approval from relevant authorities to be sold, said Colonel Le Manh Ha.

According to regulations, after private assets in police custody are used as evidence in a case, police must make two public announcements asking the properties’ owners or families to claim the asset.

If no one claims the assets five days and one year after the second notice, the property is then fully confiscated by the relevant authority.

After that, police auction the assets off.

As of February 28, HCMC traffic police had 31,511 vehicles – including cars, motorbikes and bicycles – in their possession due to traffic violations or criminal cases.

Regulations require storage areas for seized evidence to comply with safety standards, including those ensuring firefighting systems and protective fences. The facilities must also have roofs to protect the stored items from the elements.

But several police divisions do not have storage areas that meet these requirements, and thousands of vehicles are left exposed to nature for years.