Two men detain for an attempted to run a police patrol vehicle

Police have detained two men to facilitate investigation into an attempt to run a police patrol vehicle off the road on the North-South Expressway (North-bound), here, yesterday.

A police spokesman said the two men, aged 27 and 31, were detained in Permatang Batu, Bukit Mertajam, several hours after the incident.

"In 6.15pm incident, three police highway patrolmen were on an accident prevention patrol in a Mistsubishi Lancer from the Juru Toll Plaza, heading to Sungai Dua, here.

"At KM140, a Mercedes Benz with three men inside the vehicle swerved from the left towards the road divider. The driver of the patrol car sounded the horn to warn the car but it continued to be driven in a dangerous manner, maneuvering several times with intention to run the police car off the road," he said.

The spokesman said police switched on the siren and the warning lights to direct the car to stop after realising the aggressive action of its driver but the driver refused to heed warnings to stop and sped off with the police patrol vehicle pursuing until KM139.

"The vehicle then suddenly swerved into the exit to the Penang Bridge, forcing the patrol car to overshoot the exit and at the same time the driver of the car wound down his windscreen and flashed a vulgar sign," he said.

Following the incident, a report was lodged by the policemen, at the Bukit Tengah Police Station and police were able to detect the owner of the Mercedes Benz from its registration number.

He said an Anti-Vice, Gambling and Secret Societies Division team from the Seberang Perai Tengah District Police Headquarters later raided a house and detained two men, including the house owner.

"Police also seized the car, believed to have been used in the incident while the two men are being investigated under Section 186 and 509 of the Penal Code for obstructing public servants and flashing a vulgar sign," he said.

Penang CID chief SAC Mazlan Kesah, when contacted, confirmed the incident, saying further investigation was being carried out.