02 January 2013 | last updated at 11:54PM
'Khalwat' raid team loses vehicle
KUANTAN: A teenage couple, detained for allegedly committing close proximity (khalwat) in Jalan Wong Ah Jang yesterday morning, escaped by driving away in a Pahang Islamic Religious Department's (JAIP) vehicle.
However, the 18-year-olds, surrendered themselves to the department's office here at 11am -- four hours after they drove off.
In the 7am incident, JAIP anti-vice enforcement officers detained the couple along with another pair at a budget hotel here.
The enforcement team later stopped at another premise to conduct checks.
However, the enforcement officers and the driver left the vehicle with the engine running.
The couple seized the chance to escape.
Department personnel recovered the vehicle near the Kuantan Court Complex in Bandar Indera Mahkota, about 1km from here, at 9am.
Sources said the couple surrendered themselves after realising that their MyKads had been confiscated by enforcement officers during the raid.
JAIP head Ahmad Rafli Abdul Malek said the incident occurred when his officers were carrying out a New Year vice prevention operation at budget hotels here.
He said the department's enforcement team nabbed 13 couples during the three-hour operation, which began at 6.30am.
"We have recorded all their statements and the couples detained during the raid will be called soon for legal action," he said, adding that officers from the Immigration Department and police also joined in the operation.
Meanwhile, Bernama reports that two sisters and a student were among 39 people detained in an anti-vice operation in Penang early yesterday morning.
JAIP operation head Khairul Azman Azizan said the 39 people, aged between 16 and 40, were arrested during raids at budget hotels, in conjunction with the eve of new year.
"The two sisters, aged 25 and 28, from Ipoh, Perak, were detained with their partners.
"The elder sister, who is someone's wife, was nabbed together with a widower in a room.
"Meanwhile, the younger sister was detained with someone's husband in another room," he said, adding that the couples failed to produce proof of marriage when asked to do so.
Khairul said a 16-year-old girl was also nabbed with her partner, aged 20.
He said they had feigned fatigue after celebrating the coming of the new year and claimed to be resting when officers raided the premise.
