GEORGE TOWN, Dec 11 – The police slammed the brakes on 156 illegal motorcycle racers when they swooped on them opposite the site of the ongoing Penang Festival in Sungai Nibong here early Friday. In the operation dubbed ‘Ops Samseng Jalanan’, six of the racers were teenage girls, the youngest being just 14.
Those detained were not only racing in the vicinitty of Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah, Batu Uban and the Bukit Jambul roundabout over a distance of about five kilometres, but also performed dangerous stunts. Northeast district police chief ACP Mior Faridalathrash Wahid said the six-hour operation which began at midnight was carried out after the police identified several locations where illegal racing activities were held.
“The suspects were aged between 14 and 30. Our investigations revealed that illegal racing, which was previously held on weekends, was now carried out on weekdays to avoid detection by the police. Meanwhile, 63 summonses were issued and seven motorcycles seized in the operation,” he told reporters here Friday.
