Twisted arm of the law

The credibility of the Shanghai traffic law enforcement department and sanctity of governmental agencies' rule of law is being questioned when there is no transparency about how law enforcers set traps to frame innocent drivers in order to impose fines.

Two victims have taken the department to a district court for being framed - on the charge of running an unlicensed passenger transport business - and fined as much as 10,000 yuan ($1,470) and 20,000 yuan respectively. The third victim even wanted to commit suicide by cutting his wrist after he was trapped and learnt that the person he gave a ride to out of sympathy was the law enforcers' bait to trap him.

It has been revealed that a district traffic law enforcement department has collected more than 50 million yuan by imposing fines on more than 5,000 motor vehicles in two years, much more than the target laid down by higher authorities.