SEPANG – The Road Transport Department (RTD) has detained 19 individuals after they were caught offering unlicensed and illegal car rental services at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (KLIA2).
Its director-general Datuk Zailani Hashim said the touts were detained in an operation dubbed Ops Ulat which was mounted from December 4 until yesterday, adding that 18 were nabbed at KLIA2.
He said 15 of them were using private vehicles for the activity while the other four were using public vehicles including e-hailing cars or taxis.
“Three individuals were found to be repeat offenders and the department has seized all 19 vehicles to facilitate investigations,” he told a press conference at KLIA here today.
He said preliminary investigations found that the touts moved in groups or worked alone but they are believed to cooperate with each other.
Zailani said the 19 individuals aged between 20 and 60 are being investigated under Section 205(1) of the Land Public Transport Act 2010 which provides a fine of up to RM50,000 or imprisonment of up to five years or both if convicted.
Zailani, who admitted he too had been approached by touts offering car rental services at the airport, said this illegal activity must be stopped to ensure customers’ safety and protect their rights.
He said from 2015 until yesterday, a total of 630 tout cases were recorded in Selangor and 29 individuals have been sentenced to imprisonment for the offence.
Meanwhile, he said RTD would continue to intensify operations to curb the activities of smartly dressed touts who target tourists from the Middle East and offer them vehicle rental and tour packages at exorbitant prices. – Bernama, December 13, 2022
