JELI: The Road Transport Department (JPJ) uncovered the tactics of van owners from Thailand who were bringing in tourists from that country without valid licences during a special operation on Monday.

       JPJ enforcement senior director Datuk Lokman Jamaan said the operation was conducted in Malaysia-Thailand border areas near the Jeli and Rantau Panjang districts following public complaints.

       In the operation, JPJ identified tourist touts and detained 15 vans from Thailand for committing offences related to international distribution permits.

       "That special operation was jointly conducted with the Licensing and Enforcement Division of the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry to detect touts who use vans from Thailand to bring tourists into the country,” he said in a statement on Tuesday (March 26).

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       Lokman said JPJ's investigation found that the vans owned by individuals were used to conduct a business of bringing tourists into the country.

       "It is believed that each tourist or passenger in the van was charged a certain fee per trip to enter the country.

       "This action clearly affects the public transportation industry in the country," he said.

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       This case will be investigated under the Road Transport Act 1987 and Tourism Industry Act 1992, which involves operating tourist vehicles without a valid licence, he said. - Bernama