343 arrests made so far

Door-to-door notice: Two police officers serving an arrest warrant at a house in Malacca during the Ops Warta.

KUALA LUMPUR: Traffic police have set Ops Warta into high gear since its launch on Monday with over 340 arrests being made so far.

Federal deputy traffic chief Asst Comm Mahamad Akhir Darus said in the first 24 hours since the nationwide crackdown started, 7,097 vehicles had been checked.

“We had 166 operations nationwide during when we executed 662 arrest warrants on errant motorists.

“In total, we detained 343 individuals for outstanding summonses,” he said when contacted yesterday.

Ops Warta is being conducted by traffic police in each state, with Bukit Aman monitoring the operations and compiling all the data.

ACP Mahamad Akhir said many of those arrested had multiple outstanding summonses for traffic violations such as speeding and beating the red light.

“Besides going after these motorists with outstanding summonses, we are also looking for motorists who are using illegal licence plates and strobe lights,” he added.

Last December, it was reported that only 30% of the 1.7 million motorists with unsettled summonses had paid up since the nationwide Ops Cantas Khas Trafik started last October.

Commenting on the poor response, Inspec­tor-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said then that traffic offenders were still stubborn despite being given ample opportunity to do so.

Federal traffic chief Senior Asst Comm Mohd Fuad Abdul Latiff recently announced that vehicle owners with outstanding summonses, licence plates and strobe lights that did not comply with regulations had until June 16 to “remedy the situation”.

In Malacca, traffic staff officer DSP Mohd Sham Abdullah also noted that 1,000 arrest warrants had been served to motorists with unsettled summonses, at roadblocks and via door-to-door notice throughout the state yesterday.

They involved offences committed in the state as well as outstation.

In Penang, 759 people were screened during the first two days of Ops Warta, with 33 traffic offenders held in various roadblocks.

State traffic and public order chief Supt Ibrahim Abu Bakar said 152 offenders were also issued with a notice to pay up when the police visited their homes between 8am on Monday and 1pm yesterday.