Story By: John Feng, Sub-Editor:  Joseph Golder, Agency: Asia Wire Report 

This is the businessman who was fined by police for switching out the logo of his Mercedes-Benz for a cheaper made-in-China marque in order to stay ‘low-key’.

Entrepreneur Mr Du was stopped by eagle-eyed traffic cops at Gutian Toll Station over the city of Longyan in East China’s Fujian Province.

The officers monitoring passing traffic on the Xiamen-Chengdu Expressway noticed Mr Du’s black passenger van and said they recognised the model as one manufactured by Mercedes-Benz.

However, instead of the typical three-point star, a logo belonging to Chinese company Dongfeng Motor appeared in front of the vehicle’s radiator grille.

Officers who questioned Mr Du, the owner of a local business, said he was “nervous” and could not coherently answer their questions.

Mr Du first claimed the vehicle was borrowed, then said he did not bring his driving licence, the authorities said.

An inspection of the van’s boot revealed the Mercedes-Benz logo inside, and his registration documents confirmed that he was indeed the vehicle’s owner.

According to the police, Mr Du felt he would be viewed as a “show-off” if he drove a Mercedes-Benz, so he decided to switch out his van’s logo in order to be more “low-key”.

He claims he did not know it was unlawful.

He was fined 1,500 RMB (165 GBP) for illegally modifying his vehicle. In China, it is illegal to make any unauthorised modification to one’s vehicle.

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