Clone syndicate may have burned RTD vehicles

NIBONG TEBAL: The Road Transport Department (RTD) does not rule out the possibility that the burning of five vehicles including three belonging to the department at the parking lot of the RTD Enforcement Station Lorry WeighBridge in Kuala Kangsar, Perak yesterday was masterminded by a vehicle cloning syndicate.
RTD deputy director-general (Operation) Datuk Wan Ahmad Uzir Wan Sulaiman said this was because two Volvo cars which were also burnt in the incident were cloned vehicles which were seized on Dec 18 and Jan 30.
"The two cloned cars were parked there for our further investigation and tests by the Chemistry Department. Before the incident, the RTD officers involved in seizing the two cars were threatened by them because they were angry after their cars were seized.
"So, I am not ruling out the possibility the incident could have been masterminded by the cloned vehicle syndicate but we leave it to the police to conduct further investigation and we will co-operate and furnish them with the information we have," he told reporters after heading Ops Tanjung, an operation against heavy vehicles in Penang at the Valdor Enforcement Station, here today.
In the incident at 2.30 am yesterday, three RTD vehicles, namely, two Toyota Fortuner and one Ford Ranger were almost totally burnt (90%) while 70% of the cloned cars were burnt.
Wan Ahmad Uzir said RTD had also handed over closed circuit television recordings at the scene and information which they believed could help in investigation to the police.
He said RTD had set up a RTD security unit at the headquarters level recently and it would be expanded to every state in the effort to boost the security of the enforcement agency especially on their premises.
Meanwhile, he said Ops Tanjung which commenced on Jan 29 until today was to take action against drivers of overloaded lorries as they posed a threat to other road users.
"Our inspection found most lorry drivers overload their lorries by between 20% to 70% from the permitted load for 24 to 60 ton vehicles. Fifty-six notices were issued during the operation.
"We also issued an order to attend court against a lorry driver for carrying excess load of 89% and for having bald and cracked tyres. The man's offences cannot be compounded," he said.
A total 19,332 heavy vehicles were inspected last year and 6,325 notices for various traffic offences were issued, and of the total, 1,279 vehicles were acted against for carrying excess loads. — Bernama