New Zealand's trucking industry faces chaos after the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) cancelled 459 commercial driver licences in a nationwide crackdown on fake credentials. Every single revoked licence belonged to drivers born in India, who converted UAE heavy vehicle licences using false or altered documentation. The audit, launched in July 2025, ballooned from initial cancellations to 459 as investigations deepened, leaving transport firms scrambling for replacements during peak season.
Opinion: "These scammers are utterly disgusting, preying on New Zealand's desperate truck driver shortage by forging UAE licences to captain massive multi-trailer logging trucks without a shred of qualification, turning Kiwi roads into a deadly gamble. Reports of illegal U-turns, wild swerves, and full rollovers paint a horrifying picture-innocent families, cyclists, and everyday drivers dodging catastrophe from unqualified hands at the wheel of 40-tonne behemoths. This isn't irresponsible; it's reckless endangerment that spits in the face of those who built New Zealand's safe, world-class highways. Lock them up for long prison stretches, strip every cent gained, then deport them - these fraudsters never deserved to share the road with honest Kiwis who make this country a joy to live in.
UAE Licence Fraud Scam Goes Global, Hitting NZ Hardest
The fake UAE truck licence racket uncovered in New Zealand appears part of a broader international scam exploiting UAE's reputation for easy heavy vehicle credentials. NZTA's crackdown exposed Indian-born drivers using forged or altered Dubai letters costing $500-$1,000 each to convert to Class 5 licences without real experience. UAE authorities flagged similar fraud as early as 2007, with 20% of submitted licences fake, mostly Pakistani, Saudi, and Indian origins for heavy machinery.
Australia, UK, and Canada report parallel busts of migrant drivers swapping dubious UAE papers for local heavy vehicle endorsements. Dubai "schools" churn verification letters without checks, preying on driver shortages worldwide.
Biggest scammers were drivers aged 30 to 35 presented UAE licences backed by letters from Dubai providers charging NZ$500 to $1,000. These documents, once accepted by NZTA, verified overseas experience for Class 5 heavy vehicle conversions. NZTA now deems them "non-verifiable or invalid," triggering immediate revocations. Of those revoked; 436 came via UAE, 18 from Australia, five from Canada. Fines up to NZ$750 loom, though no charges yet.
Protests erupted at Auckland's Takanini Gurdwara, where hundreds of families rallied. Indian MP Parmjeet Parmar warned of "enormous strain on freight networks" pre-Christmas, urging Transport Minister Simeon Brown for case-by-case reviews. Operator Navjot Sidhu, losing four drivers, blasted the fallout: "These hardworking migrants filled vital gaps, but now 440 families suffer." Tauranga's Ranjit Singh echoed recruitment woes.
Safety hawks cheer the purge. NZTA's Mike Hargreaves stressed swift action protects roads, with heavy trucks demanding proven skills.
NZTA holds firm: conversions demand valid, current overseas licences.
The scam exposes migrant loopholes in a nation desperate for drivers.