MELAKA: Motorcycles which are being sold below the price of a smartphone are ending up in the hands of foreigners who ride them illegally on public roads.
This thriving black market was uncovered by the Road Transport Department (JPJ) during a series of enforcement operations in Melaka.
Melaka JPJ director Siti Zarina Mohd Yusop said the practice was detected during Ops Pemandu Warga Asing (Op Pewa), which was carried out from June 16 to June 25 at several areas identified as high-risk for traffic offences.
She said 60 vehicles used by foreigners were impounded during Op Pewa.
They comprised 47 motorcycles, nine cars, two goods vehicles and two other vehicles.
“Investigations found that most of the motorcycles had been purchased from local owners without any legal transfer of ownership, with prices ranging from RM800 to RM1,500,” she said yesterday.
Siti Zarina said the offences include driving without a valid licence, using vehicles with expired road tax and operating uninsured vehicles, all of which are offences under the Road Transport Act.
She said Bangladeshis accounted for the highest number of cases with 23, followed by Pakistanis (12), Rohingya (11), Indonesians (eight), Myanmar nationals (four) and other nationalities (two), based on enforcement records compiled during the operation period.
Siti Zarina said many of the motorcycles were older models that had quietly changed hands outside the legal ownership transfer process, allowing them to continue being used on public roads despite not having the required documentation.
Throughout the operation, she said enforcement officers inspected 243 vehicles and issued 196 notices for various offences.
Siti Zarina added that the operation was not aimed at targeting any particular group but was intended to ensure all road users complied with the law.
She warned vehicle owners that they could face legal action for allowing individuals without valid driving licences to use their vehicles.
