Teen arrested for fourth time for riding without licence as DUKE illegal racing crackdown continues

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 25 — A 17-year-old boy was arrested for the fourth time for riding a motorcycle without a valid licence during Op Samseng Jalanan on the Duta-Ulu Kelang (DUKE) Expressway in Sentul early this morning, despite having been summoned three times previously for the same offence.

The teenager from Wangsa Maju said he had earlier worked at a restaurant to settle summonses amounting to about RM900, as both his parents were unemployed.

He added that he was on his way to a friend’s house in Sentul when arrested and claimed he was in the process of obtaining his licence by the end of the month, noting that his parents had repeatedly reminded him to take responsibility for his actions.

Kuala Lumpur Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department (JSPT) chief ACP Mohd Zamzuri Mohd Isa said the teenager was arrested during a special operation following complaints from residents about street gang activities and disturbances in the area.

He said illegal racing activities had been detected in the area since last year, particularly on weekends, involving a straight 1.8-kilometre stretch along the DUKE Expressway to the Gombak Interchange.

“The activities mostly involve riders from around the Klang Valley, including Gombak, Kajang and Cheras,” he told a press conference in Sentul early this morning.

The operation was carried out from 9 pm last night until 5 am this morning, involving 10 officers and 106 JSPT personnel, with assistance from the National Anti-Drug Agency (AADK) and the DUKE Expressway concessionaire.

Mohd Zamzuri said that from Jan 1 to today, police had made 40 arrests in the area under Section 42 of the Road Transport Act.

He said the DUKE Expressway, Jalan Tun Razak and Jalan Raja Laut were identified as the group’s ‘illegal circuit’ areas, although the riders frequently changed locations to evade enforcement.

At the same time, operations were also conducted on Jalan Ipoh-Chow Kit, Jalan Ipoh-Sentul and Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, during which 450 motorcycles were inspected.

Of the total, 83 motorcycles were seized, six individuals were arrested under Section 42 of the Road Transport Act, and one rider tested positive for methamphetamine and held under Section 15(1) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.

“Most of the seized motorcycles were found to have been modified, including the use of non-compliant tyres, the absence of brakes and noisy exhausts, which were the main sources of complaints from residents and contributed to the perception of ongoing illegal racing activities,” he said.

Most of the riders were aged between 16 and 19, with some as young as 14, and Mohd Zamzuri advised parents to closely monitor their children’s movements and ensure compliance with road regulations. — Bernama