Seberang jaya: Police confiscated 135 motorcycles and issued 614 summonses for traffic offences in an operation, dubbed OP Tutup Samseng Jalanan Bersepadu, on the North-South Expressway (PLUS) exit at Jalan Permatang Pauh, Seberang Jaya here early today. The Seberang Perai Tengah (SPT) district police headquarters (IPD) stated that in the operation, six people were also arrested under Section 42 (1) of the Road Transport Act 1987 and three were arrested by the SPT IPD Narcotics Criminal Investigation Division after testing positive for methamphetamine and ketamine.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the operation aimed to combat the illegal activities of the mat rempit street gangs in the area. During the operation, 400 motorcycles were inspected, leading to the seizure of 135 motorcycles and the issuance of 614 summonses for various traffic offences. The police detected several groups of teenagers on motorcycles and cars gathering by PLUS and the Permatang Pauh exit to watch the daredevil spectacle of motorcyclists racing against each other.

The statement noted that the races occurred over a holiday weekend, causing annoyance to highway users as most of the mat rempit were racing at high speeds on public roads. Street racing is characterized by the loud, high-pitched noise from the exhaust of modified bikes, with riders often executing dangerous maneuvers such as riding against traffic flow, performing motorcycle wheelies at high speed, and zigzagging, which poses risks to both the bikers and other road users.