343 arrests made so far
Door-to-door notice: Two police officers serving an arrest warrant at a house in Malacca during the Ops Warta.
KUALA LUMPUR: Traffic police have set Ops Warta into high gear since its launch on Monday with over 340 arrests being made so far.
Federal deputy traffic chief Asst Comm Mahamad Akhir Darus said in the first 24 hours since the nationwide crackdown started, 7,097 vehicles had been checked.
“We had 166 operations nationwide during when we executed 662 arrest warrants on errant motorists.
“In total, we detained 343 individuals for outstanding summonses,” he said when contacted yesterday.
Ops Warta is being conducted by traffic police in each state, with Bukit Aman monitoring the operations and compiling all the data.
ACP Mahamad Akhir said many of those arrested had multiple outstanding summonses for traffic violations such as speeding and beating the red light.
“Besides going after these motorists with outstanding summonses, we are also looking for motorists who are using illegal licence plates and strobe lights,” he added.
Last December, it was reported that only 30% of the 1.7 million motorists with unsettled summonses had paid up since the nationwide Ops Cantas Khas Trafik started last October.
Commenting on the poor response, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said then that traffic offenders were still stubborn despite being given ample opportunity to do so.
Federal traffic chief Senior Asst Comm Mohd Fuad Abdul Latiff recently announced that vehicle owners with outstanding summonses, licence plates and strobe lights that did not comply with regulations had until June 16 to “remedy the situation”.
In Malacca, traffic staff officer DSP Mohd Sham Abdullah also noted that 1,000 arrest warrants had been served to motorists with unsettled summonses, at roadblocks and via door-to-door notice throughout the state yesterday.
They involved offences committed in the state as well as outstation.
In Penang, 759 people were screened during the first two days of Ops Warta, with 33 traffic offenders held in various roadblocks.
State traffic and public order chief Supt Ibrahim Abu Bakar said 152 offenders were also issued with a notice to pay up when the police visited their homes between 8am on Monday and 1pm yesterday.
No money is no excuse under Ops Warta
On duty: Police officers checking vehicles at an Ops Warta roadblock in Sungai Buloh.
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KUALA LUMPUR: From the usual plea of ignorance to claiming they have no money to pay up – offenders tracked down during the latest Ops Warta operation by the police are using whatever excuses they can think up to try get off the hook.
Federal traffic chief Senior Asst Comm Mohd Fuad Abdul Latiff had said recently that his team would not entertain such excuses.
“There are many ways of checking for outstanding summonses so do not expect us to let you off easily,” he had said.
In Malacca, state traffic staff officer DSP Mohd Sham Abdullah said a man with 79 traffic summonses who was flagged down at an Ops Warta roadblock on Monday had his car impounded.
“The man, in his 30s, had accumulated the summonses, mostly for speeding, over the past five years.
“He is clearly a habitual offender and the law allows police to impound the vehicle,’’ he said.
He also revealed that “I have no money for the summonses” was a popular excuse.
He said most offenders were aware that they had unsettled summonses yet “took the easy way out by not paying”.
Most of the offenders, he said, also asked for leniency or discounts on their summonses.
“However, the options are not available for now. They have to pay up or face the music.”
In Penang, state traffic and public order chief Supt Ibrahim Abu Bakar said they use the soft approach when they visit the offenders in their homes by advising them to pay up at the nearest police station.
“We have 14,540 outstanding arrest warrants for various offences committed.
“I hope the offenders will pay up and not wait for us to turn up at their houses,” he said yesterday after visiting his men at an Ops Warta roadblock near the Sungai Nyior toll plaza.
The common reasons given for not settling the summonses are that they have forgotten or they have handed them over to their relatives without following up.
Traffic police counters will be opened from 8am to 8pm daily until the end of the operation on June 27.
