Dubai Police dismantle fraudulent driving licence exchange ring

Dubai Police have dismantled an eight-member criminal gang involved in a fraudulent scheme to obtain UAE driving licences. The group allegedly charged customers 10,000 AED per licence to bypass mandatory driving lessons, tests, and travel requirements.

The gang exploited legitimate licence exchange agreements that allow holders of certain foreign licences to swap them for UAE licences without additional training. By fraudulently securing licences from a neighboring country without the applicants ever visiting or testing there, the suspects were able to facilitate the exchange through the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).

Authorities conducted the arrests through the Dubai Police’s General Department of Criminal Investigation, in coordination with the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the RTA. Police warned that the scheme poses a significant risk to road safety by placing unqualified drivers on public roads, and emphasized that using illegally obtained documents does not negate the underlying illegality.