NIBONG TEBAL: The Road Transport Department (RTD) has not ruled 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 yesterday was masterminded by a vehicle-cloning syndicate.

RTD deputy director-general (operations) Wan Ahmad Uzir Wan Sulaiman said this was because two Volvo cars, which were also burnt in the incident, were cloned vehicles 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.

“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 2.30am yesterday, three RTD vehicles, namely two Toyota Fortuner and one Ford Ranger, were almost destroyed while the cloned cars were badly damaged.

Wan Ahmad said RTD had also handed over closed circuit television camera recordings at the scene and information which they believed could help in investigations 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 to boost the security of the enforcement agency, especially their premises.

Meanwhile, he said Ops Tanjung, held from 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 20-70% of the permitted load for 24-60-tonne 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. Of the total, 1,279 vehicles were booked for carrying excess loads.