KOTA KINABALU: The police arrested three men believed to be involved in illegal racing at Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park (KKIP) in Sepanggar on Sunday.
City Traffic and Public Order chief DSP Peter Umbuas said the three drivers were among the 36 individuals detained in Ops Cantas Khas Samseng Jalanan that was carried out since 5pm.
He said the suspects and their modified cars, namely two Perodua Kancil cars and a Proton Persona, were held.
“The three of them are aged between 20 to 30 years old. They were arrested under Section 81 (3)(A) of the Road Transport Act for illegal racing or trial of speed.”
Peter added that they could be remanded under Section 117 of the Criminal Procedure Code for further investigation if the process took more than 24 hours.
“If they are convicted in court, the three suspects will be fined not more than RM2,000 or jailed not more than six months, or both,” he said after the operation.
Peter said the drivers would be banned from driving if the Magistrate’s Court found that they were arrested for the offense for the second or third time.
He added that the other 36 vehicles and their drivers were detained for various offences that violated the Road Transport Act.
“All 36 drivers were issued a summons each and their vehicles were handed over to the Road Transport Department (RTD) under Section 60 of the RTD Act.
“RTD will issue a notice to have all these vehicles inspected to determine the nature of offense.”
Peter also said that all arrests were made in KKIP following complaints from the public.
After weeks of monitoring, the police found that the activity started several months ago. However, there was no evidence to prove that the individuals were betting on the race, he said.
“We do not want such activities to become a culture. Although these vehicles were modified purportedly for sports activity, the police believe that they were also used on the road.
“Such action will endanger other road users,” he stressed, adding that the police would continue to carry out operations and monitoring to eradicate these cases.