IPOH, May 7 ― Any highway user whose toll transactions found to be unreasonably high will be compounded and ordered to turn back for violating interstate travel restrictions, said Perak police chief Datuk Mior Faridalathrash Wahid.

He said this was one of the strategies that would used to prevent people from attempting interstate travel, especially during the festive season, and to curb the spread of Covid-19 in the state.

“We will check (highway users’ toll transactions), but of course, it is impossible for us to check all vehicles as it will cause traffic congestion.

“For instance, if users come from Jalan Duta, of course there will be high toll transaction rate, we will stop them, issue a compound and ask them to turn back, except for those who have interstate travel permission letter.

“Road users will use various tactics to avoid being detected. They will exit one toll and enter another toll,” he said after attending the monthly assembly with the Perak police chief at the Police Air Operations Force Training Base, here today.

Mior Faridalathrash also called for cooperation from all parties to ensure success of efforts to curb the spread of Covid-19.

He was previously reported to have said that Perak police will further tighten roadblocks at 27 entry and exit routes in the state to prevent illegal interstate travel during Aidilfitri.

Meanwhile, Mior Faridalathrash said Perak police received about 3,000 interstate travel applications per day, involving 15 district police headquarters (IPDs) in the state.

“Interstate travel is only allowed for certain cases such as medical purposes, long-distance couples and deaths involving immediate family members.

“We will check it thoroughly. Police reject about 100 applications a day. Most of the applications submitted are for interstate travel during the weekends,” he said.

Earlier, in his speech, Mior Faridalathrash conveyed his appreciation to personnel from IPDs throughout the state who have excelled in carrying out the assigned tasks last month.

He said the state’s crime index has also recorded a drop of 227 cases (19.2 per cent) in the first four months of this year, compared to the same period last year.

During the same period, he said, a total of 3,346 people were arrested for various drug offences, which was an increase of 331 people (11 per cent). ― Bernama