Eight enforcement officers among 18 arrested in opsPUTRAJAYA: A “tonto” syndicate linked to illegal lorry operations, which included overloading, has been dismantled with the arrest of 18 people, including eight enforcement officers, in a major operation involving multiple agencies. “Tonto” refers to a network of paid informants and middlemen who monitor authorities, providing warnings to protect illicit operations. In this case, the “tonto” is working on behalf of illegal, overloaded and unregistered lorries to evade detection and roadblocks. “Our investigations showed these ‘tontos’ are used to bribe enforcement officers in exchange for action that benefit certain companies,” Azam told a press conference. A further RM4,692,280.19 from 59 bank accounts belonging to the “tonto” group, its members and companies have also been frozen.

Source: The Star March 05, 2026 03:44 UTC