A foreign lorry driver’s attempt to evade enforcement officers ended in embarrassment after he was found hiding inside a drain during a road operation targeting unlicensed foreign drivers in Puchong.
The Indonesian man, believed to be in his 30s, claimed he was not trying to flee when officers from the Road Transport Department (JPJ) approached him during the operation.
“I was shocked, not trying to run away,” he reportedly told authorities after being discovered hiding in a nearby drain.
The incident occurred during Ops Pemandu Warga Asing (PEWA), conducted in Bandar Puteri, Puchong, on Tuesday.
Investigations revealed that the man had allegedly taken over driving duties from a friend and was transporting the lorry to a construction site.
However, further checks found that he did not possess a valid driving licence and that his passport had already expired.
In a separate case during the same operation, enforcement officers detained a Rohingya man who was found riding a three-wheeled motorcycle without authorisation.
The man claimed he rented the vehicle for around RM10 per day from another foreign national and used it to collect and transport recyclable items from residential areas.
Checks by JPJ officers revealed that he was a United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) cardholder and did not possess a valid driving licence.
Authorities also discovered that he had previously received several traffic summonses for various road offences.
The integrated operation, which began at 10am, was carried out by Jabatan Pengangkutan Jalan Selangor in collaboration with Majlis Bandaraya Subang Jaya (MBSJ).
All vehicles detained during the operation were transported to the MBSJ Hypermedia Library compound for further action.
Selangor JPJ deputy director Ahmad Kamarunzaman Mehat said a total of 218 offences were recorded throughout the operation.
The highest number of offences involved individuals driving without a Competent Driving Licence (CDL), accounting for 50 cases.
Authorities also recorded 56 cases involving expired road tax and another 56 cases related to insurance offences.
Other violations included two cases involving vocational licences, two cases of road tax misuse, 29 technical offences and 23 other traffic-related violations.
A total of 34 vehicles were seized, comprising 32 motorcycles, one passenger car and one lorry.
Ahmad Kamarunzaman stressed that similar operations would continue to identify and take action against foreign nationals operating vehicles without valid licences or legal documentation.
He also reminded employers and vehicle owners not to allow foreign nationals to use their vehicles without meeting legal requirements.
“Strict action will be taken against any party found violating existing laws to ensure road safety and compliance with regulations,” he said.
