Perak Police to monitor unauthorised interstate travel at toll plazas

IPOH: The Perak police has stationed police personnel at all toll plazas in an Op COVID-19 pioneer project at the North-South Expressway to curb unauthorised interstate travel and abuse of travel approval permits,

Perak police chief Datuk Mior Faridalathrash Wahid said the police would check and monitor the toll payments made by road users to determine if they had committed any infraction.

"Before a road user touches his Touch'n'Go card, we will ask them where they came from and where they're headed. Then we will verify that information through the scanner machine to see the veracity of their journey.

"We have conducted this project for the last two days and have managed to reduce traffic congestion as there are four lanes to be used," he said after inspecting the roadblock at the southbound Ipoh toll plaza today.

He added that the project was the first in the state, and will be conducted at three locations, Jelapang, Ampang, and Simpang Pulai toll plazas, and might be expanded throughout the state based on the level of success and suitability.

POLICE-ROADBLOCK 2 (LAST) IPOH

Mior Faridalathrash added that the toll plaza offered protection from weather and were equipped with CCTVs that could help the police determine if there were any incidents of police abuse.

"So far, we have not detected any deception from road users," he said, adding that 12 compounds were issued yesterday throughout Perak to those who failed to produce interstate travel documents and were ordered to turn back.

In a separate development, the actions of a man who insulted and criticised the government over the Movement Control Order (MCO) on social media led to his arrest in Batu Gajah yesterday.

Mior Faridalathrash said the man, using the Facebook account name 'Apit Wan Lebo' was arrested around 11 pm yesterday but was freed on police bail two hours later after having his statement recorded. The case would be investigated under Section 504 of the Penal Code, Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act and Section 14 of the Minor Offences Act 1955.

Meanwhile in SEREMBAN, Bukit Aman Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department deputy director Datuk Mohd Nadzri Hussain said that roadblocks have been set up in all sectors, including the North-South Expressway and the East-West Expressway, involving 28 sectors and five zones under Op Rentas beginning yesterday till May 16.

"Op Rentas will be conducted daily and roadblocks are not static but could shift around at a continuous basis," he told reporters after launching the In Car Radar and iCOPs here today.

He said the In Car Radar would be installed in patrol vehicles to detect the speed of vehicles through radar technology and would aid police in enforcing traffic rules and regulations consistently. The device could also issue summons immediately to any vehicle committing an offence.

-- BERNAMA