Law enforcement cracks down on ghost plates and toll evaders across New York City

NEW YORK (PIX11) -- The MTA, NYPD, and local law enforcement partners have been actively engaged in enforcing measures against ghost plates and toll evaders within New York City, the agencies announced on Tuesday.

Over the last two weeks, interagency operations impounded 274 vehicles and arrested 63 individuals.

Law enforcement targeted drivers commuting via the Queens Midtown Tunnel, Williamsburg Bridge, RFK Bridge, and Bronx Whitestone Bridge.

Vehicles were impounded for several violations, including unpaid tolls, forged documents, unregistered vehicles, and suspended licenses, officials said.

Notable arrests include four individuals taken into custody after allegedly fleeing from a crash on the Bronx Whitestone Bridge. Police said the four are known to the department and that two are co-defendants in a separate grand larceny pattern.

Another noteworthy arrest involves a moped driver who was discovered to have a suspended license and a substantial amount of crack cocaine, officials said. Police said the driver is also a person of interest in a shooting in Brooklyn in 2022.

This year, law enforcement has impounded 1,540 vehicles, made 339 arrests, and issued 12,007 summonses. The drivers owe more than $12.5 million in unpaid tolls and fees.