KOTA KINABALU: Police here have arrested seven teenagers who were seen in a viral video beating up a 17-year-old hawker at an open market area in Kunak town on Sabah's east coast.

       The teenagers, apparently all friends from the same village, were unhappy with the victim who allegedly short-changed them over some second-hand clothes.

       The incident seen in the video clip took place at about noon on Dec 28.

       A police report was only lodged by the victim on Friday (Jan 8) after he learned the 28-second video had gone viral after being posted on the Facebook page "Orang Kunak".

       Kunak district police chief Supt Sabarudin Rahmat confirmed that the seven teenagers are aged between 14 and 17 and were arrested at about 4.30pm on Saturday (Jan 8).

       Police were investigating under Section 147 of the Penal Code for fighting in public, he said on Sunday (Jan 9).

       It is learned that six of the suspects were not schooling with only one 14-year-old attending secondary school.

       Most of the suspects also did not have proper identification documents apart from birth certificates.

       It is believed that the victim and suspects bought a bundle of used clothes together but the victim allegedly sold it without dividing the profit equally.

       This led to the boys taking "revenge" on the victim who sells snacks at a stall in the Simpang Empat market area.

       The video is believed to have been recorded by one of the assailants.