‘Tonto’ stickers used by lorries to avoid enforcement

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The road transport department (JPJ) has uncovered the use of special stickers produced by “tontos” to identify paying customers who pay individuals or tonto groups, The Star has reported.

These tonto groups monitor the movement of law enforcement teams and then relay the information to drivers of trucks with the stickers to avoid enforcement action, said JPJ senior enforcement director Datuk Muhammad Kifli Ma Hassan.

“They use communication devices to notify others of the whereabouts of enforcement teams, and the lorries involved will temporarily ‘lay low’ until the operation ends before continuing their journey. These lorries have also been detected using back roads to avoid being identified and subjected to enforcement action,” the JPJ senior enforcement director said.

‘Tonto’ stickers used by lorries to avoid enforcement

The road transport department views the matter seriously and will forward the related information to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) for further action, and the JPJ is not ruling out the possibility of carrying out joint operations with the MACC following the detection of lorries using these stickers, he said.

In terms of enforcement statistics, JPJ has taken action against more than 400,000 of the 2.58 million commercial vehicles nationwide for various offences between 2024 and April this year, the department’s senior enforcement director said, reported Bernama.

A total of 45,986 JPJ (P)22 notices were issued in 2024, followed by 57,174 notices last year and 14,885 between January and April this year, he said. The department seized 753 lorries for breaching permit conditions and provisions under the Land Public Transport Act 2010, with Penang recording the highest number at 133 cases, followed by Selangor with 125 cases and Pahang with 101 cases.

Forfeiture proceedings have been initiated by the JPJ against 30 lorries between 2024 and this year under Section 80(1) of the Land Public Transport Act 2010, for carrying loads exceeding the permitted limit.

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