5 Men Were Drinking Together Inside A House. Then Someone Tipped Off The Tuaran Police
The men, aged 19 to 42, are related to each other and the house where they were drinking at belonged to one of their relative, who was not home.
By Sadho Ram — 02 May 2020, 02:28 PM
Five men, who are related to each other, were drinking together at a house owned by one of their relatives in a sub-district of Tuaran, Sabah
The men, aged 19 to 42, were drinking together in an open space underneath the house.
It has now landed all five of them into trouble with the law after the house was raided by the Tuaran police.
The owner of the house, which is located in Kampung Kotonuan Baru in Tamparuli, was not home.
The police raid at the house came after a tip-off
Tuaran District Police Chief, Deputy Superintendent Mohd Hamizi Halim, said that a police team on COVID-19 patrol stormed the house about 1pm on Friday, 1 May, and found the men busy chatting and drinking.
According to him, they were acting on public information and complaints.
The five men have since been arrested for defying MCO
"Investigations revealed that all the suspects were local men and had ties to one another. The location of the raid was the home of one of their relatives who was not at home," Hamizi said.
The men were brought to the district police headquarters, where they will be detained for four days to facilitate investigations, according to a report in New Straits Times.
The Movement Control Order (MCO) is in place to contain the spread of the SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The MCO is scheduled to end on 12 May.
They now face six months in jail or fine or both, if convicted
According to Hamizi, the case was initiated under Section 269 of the Penal Code for a negligent act likely to spread infection of any disease dangerous to life and Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (Measures within Infected Local Areas) (No.4) Regulations 2020.
The Penal Code and Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Regulations carry imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months or with fine or with both.
