JPJ men and cop nabbed

Lourdes Charles, The Star, Tue 11 Dec 2007
 

KUALA LUMPUR: Three Road Transport Department (JPJ) officers, a traffic police corporal and four runners have been arrested in a sticker-for-protection scam worth hundreds of thousands of ringgit.

Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) officers who arrested the eight in Selangor in the last two days seized stickers with initials like KCE, KCHAI, BoB, VML, John, KFC, CB and one with a star-shaped symbol.

Lorry drivers who display the stickers would not be hauled up for overloading during operations by the JPJ and police.

Selangor ACA director Datuk Mohamed Jamidan Abdullah said the syndicate members sold the stickers to lorry owners especially those involved in transporting sand and earth for between RM500 (local) and RM700 (outstation) per lorry per month.

"Overloaded lorries that display the stickers will not be stopped, summonsed or taken to nearby weighing stations.

"If they were hauled up, someone will contact the enforcement officer to settle the case.

"If any action is taken, it will be for a minor offence which entails a minimum fine."

He said the syndicate members shared the money collected on a monthly basis.

One of the JPJ officers arrested is attached to the Road Safety Department in Putrajaya and the others with the Selangor JPJ.

It is learnt the syndicate members produced the stickers themselves and have JPJ and police links throughout the country.

Sources said lorry owners would pay for the stickers as it was cheaper than paying the summons if they were caught.

They said the sticker scam had been in existence for the past 10 years and the syndicate had members all over the country.

The ACA believed that several traffic policemen in Selangor and Negri Sembilan are involved with the syndicate.