The police caught a man aged 23 in the act of receiving money from the owner of a vehicle from which he earlier stole the license plates. Another man of 20 is suspected of committing six similar thefts, IPN reports.

According to the General Police Inspectorate, the 23-year-old man from Bacioi commune stole the license plates from the vehicle and left a note with a mobile phone on the windscreen for the owner. The victim informed the police, which caught the thief red-handed. The man who answered the phone asked for €100 from the car owner in exchange for the plates.

The suspect faces a fine of up to 6,000 lei, 120 to 240 hours of community service or up to two years in jail.

The other man, aged 20, from Chisinau was arrested by policemen of the Rascani Police Inspectorate on suspicion that he employed the same scheme. Six criminal cases over theft were started against him.

The police urge the people to immediately call 902 if they have evidence of or experience similar situations.