You shall not pass: Johor police use buses to stop illegal bike racers from escaping

Police officers in Johor Bahru (JB) employed an unexpected method to catch a group of 'Mat Rempit' (street racers) – using buses to block them off.

Dashcam footage, first posted to TikTok by a user who goes by @maryna_aly, shows plainclothes policemen riding motorcycles to intercept the errant motorcyclists at a traffic light near Danga Bay in Johor Bahru.

According to the footage, the incident occurred on the evening of Sunday (Aug 25).

In the two-minute-long clip, one of the motorcyclists can be seen attempting to run over a police officer in an attempt to flee.

Polis menggunakan dua buah bas bagi menghalang kumpulan samseng jalan raya daripada melarikan diri dalam operasi khas bersepadu membanteras samseng jalanan di jalan pantai Skudai Pantai Lido yang berkahir awal pagi tadi.

Sumber: Video tular pic.twitter.com/6kOjVpSiEm

— Buletin TV3 (@BuletinTV3) August 26, 2024

Two street racers seemingly manage to escape just as the buses deployed by the police drove up to block off the lanes, cutting the other rogue motorcyclists off.

Other videos posted by the same user show both plainclothes and uniformed officers rounding up motorcyclists on the busy road for checks as the buses continue to block most lanes off. 

The clips have garnered more than two million views and thousands of comments collectively.

According to The Star, Chief of the Johor Bahru South District Police Assistant Commissioner Raub Selamat said that it is legally permissible for the police to use various methods to prevent crime.

Raub explained that the incident was part of an operation that took place on Aug 26 and 27, and involved multiple agencies such as the Road Transport Department (JPJ), Johor Baru City Council and Department of Environment.

"We have previously seen incidents where police personnel were struck by motorcyclists who refused to stop at roadblocks," he said.

"The safety of my personnel and other road users is our top priority, which is why we decided to use the buses."

"Illegal racing is still under control in the police district, but cases of motorcycle theft and illegal modification are on the rise. This is one of the reasons for the operation," he added.

Raub also stated that 286 individuals and 257 vehicles were inspected during the operation, reported The Star.

"Some 115 motorcycles were seized for further inspection and 153 summons were issued for various traffic offences, including driving without a licence and illegal modification of their vehicles," he said.

"JPJ also issued 54 summons for various offences while the DOE issued 46 summons and 52 inspection notices for vehicles with loud exhausts."

A 28-year-old local man was also arrested during the operation after testing positive for drugs, reported The Star.

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bhavya.rawat@asiaone.com