A Russian court on Monday convicted six men for selling forged copies of number plates and passes reserved for senior Kremlin officials and the presidential bodyguard.

The Reuters news agency reported that the gang had sold special number plates and passes with a flashing blue light - known in Russia as a “migalka” - for as much as $200,000, according to prosecutors.

One package even included a number plate with special codes for the Federal Guards Service, which protects the Kremlin elite including President Vladimir Putin. The gang had also sold passes to Kremlin buildings, the Moscow court said.

There was no evidence the fake number plates and documents had been used to breach Kremlin security.

It appeared the buyers had been attracted because the Kremlin number plates - viewed as the ultimate status symbol in Russia - give the driver effective immunity from the traffic police.

A whole system of special codes is used on Russian number plates giving senior officials license to break traffic rules at will and drive down the central lane on major roads.

The gang, which included a former employee of Russia’s foreign intelligence service and a former traffic policeman, were sentenced to between two and seven years for selling forged documents, forgery, fraud and bribery, Interfax news agency reported.

Russian media reported that the gang was caught after two cars with the same special number plate - belonging to a senior officer in the Federal Guards Service - passed a traffic police cordon within two minutes.

After a tip off from the police, special services later stopped the driver of the car.

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