2,358 motorcyclists held in BORR round up

No escape: Police recording details of motorcyclists during the operation in Butterworth.

BUTTERWORTH: When the police issued a public warning to motorcyclists suspected of illegal racing last week with the words, “We are coming for you”, they meant it.

In a jaw-dropping enforcement strategy, a large team of policemen succeeded in hauling up 2,358 motorcyclists to the Butterworth police station on Sunday evening to be checked.

Dubbed Ops Tutup Jalan, the police closed Butterworth Outer Ring Road (BORR) for 45 minutes on Sunday evening and trapped the motorcyclists. This wide and straight highway is a popular “race strip” for motorcyclists to race.

Bukit Aman Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department deputy director Senior Asst Comm Datuk Mohd Nadzri Hussain said his team comprised 120 policemen including 70 officers from Bukit Aman.The team detained 24 men under Section 42 of the Road Transport Act 1987 for reckless and dangerous driving and 930 summons were issued, he added.

The offences committed included not having a licence, modifying exhaust pipes and other motorcycle parts, having no side mirror or number plates and underage riding.The police seized 175 motorcycles and of the 76 motorcyclists tested for drugs, three were found positive for methamphetamine and one for Tetrahydrocannabinol, the active compound for cannabis.

At the launch of Ops Selamat last Tuesday, Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Mazlan Mansor had issued the warning to the motorcyclists and said police would focus on illegal racing this year.

SAC Mohd Nadzri promised that such operations would be held regularly along BORR.

“This is one of the hotspots for reckless and dangerous riding.

“We will instruct the contingent and district teams to carry out similar operations and Bukit Aman will monitor. We will carry out operations at hotspots throughout Malaysia. If we do not continue, the situation will get worse, ” he said.

He said Ops Tutup Jalan involved the Department of Environment, National Anti-Drugs Agency, Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department and the Crime Investigation Department.

Mohd Nadzri added that many complaints were received on the illegal races through WhatsApp.

“We had been collecting data and planning for the best time to run this operation. I believe nearby residents may be happy that we took action against the reckless riders.

“We have to plan the operation and cannot do it ad hoc as it involves a lot of manpower, ” he said.

Also present was Bukit Aman Traffic Investigations and Enforcement Department chief assistant director Supt Dr Bakri Zainal Abidin.