Police have detained five people in connection with a fight believed to have been triggered by alcohol consumption and which recently went viral on social media.
Meradong district police chief DSP Tansli Mering said those arrested on Tuesday comprised three local men aged between 24 and 30, as well as two women aged 27 and 31.
He said preliminary investigations found that the five were friends who had gathered and consumed alcoholic drinks in a rented room located behind a shop in the area.
“At about 5pm on Aug 10, an argument broke out between two of them before their friends attempted to intervene.
“However, another dispute occurred when a Perodua Kancil was about to leave the area. The vehicle was stopped, followed by a scuffle, an assault involving a man and damage to the vehicle,” he said in a statement today.
Tansli said the occupants of the vehicle subsequently left the scene as they feared the situation could escalate further.
All five suspects were believed to have been under the influence of alcohol during the incident. Police have not received any report from those involved so far.
Checks also revealed that three of the suspects have previous criminal and drug-related records.
A 24-year-old male suspect has four previous drug offences under Section 15(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 and one vehicle theft case under Section 379A of the Penal Code.
A 30-year-old male suspect has two previous drug offences under Section 15(1)(a) of the same Act, as well as a case involving voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons under Section 324 of the Penal Code.
Meanwhile, a 27-year-old female suspect has two previous drug-related records under Section 15(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.
The remaining suspects, a 25-year-old man and a 31-year-old woman, have no previous criminal records.
All five are being detained under Section 23 of the Criminal Procedure Code for preventive purposes and are being held at the Bintangor police station lock-up for further action.
Police have advised the public against spreading speculation or unverified information about the incident and urged them to allow authorities to conduct the investigation.
