GEORGE TOWN: The merriment of more than 150 Mat Rempit and about 100 of their pillion riders was cut short when they were rounded up by the police in Jalan Bukit Gambier here.
The road hooligans were made to push their machines for at least 5km to the northern region marine police base in Batu Uban during the six-hour operation codenamed Ops Samseng Jalanan.
However, none of them seemed to be sorry as they could be seen joking among themselves while pushing their machines to the marine base which was about two hours away.
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| The illegal racers pushing their motorcycles after they were nabbed in Jalan Bukit Gambier. — MUHAMAD SHAHRIL ROSLI / The Star |
Earlier, they were spotted racing and doing dangerous stunts while being cheered on by onlookers and their friends.
Hard lesson:
State Internal Security, Public Order and Traffic chief Supt Wan Aziz Wan Husin said a team comprising personnel from the national anti-drug agency, department of environment (DOE), road transport department (RTD) and police sealed all the possible escape routes before closing in on them at 12.30am yesterday.
“We screened all those present, and eight youths tested positive for drug. Our records showed that a number of them were arrested in a similar operation about a week ago.
“A total of 90 police summonses were issued for various traffic offences and 14 modified machines seized. The DOE and RTD also issued 16 and six summonses respectively,” he said when met at the scene.
Supt Wan Aziz said the road hooligans needed to be taught a lesson as their illegal racing have been disturbing the sleep of the residents in the area, adding that police have received numerous complaints over the matter.
“Such an activity usually takes place during weekends, and the speeding motorcyclists, who use the road as a racing track, are endangering the lives of other road users.”