JOHOR BARU, Jan 18 — Five men have been arrested for investigation after being caught brawling on camera in front of a restaurant in Bandar Baru Permas Jaya here early this week.
The brawl last Monday night where some of the suspects were armed with sticks is believed to have been a gang fight between two groups resulting from a misunderstanding after a video of the incident was posted on Facebook and widely shared on social media, Johor Baru South police chief Assistant Commissioner Raub Selamat said in a statement today.
He said the five were arrested after a report was lodged on Tuesday.
“The suspects, aged between 17 and 43, were arrested to assist police in the investigation.
“Policemen also confiscated two mobile phones and seized two rattan sticks that were believed to have been used in the brawl,” he said.
Raub said all suspects tested negative for drug abuse following a standard narcotics screening urine test.
However, he said preliminary checks revealed that one of the five suspects had previous cases related to drugs and criminal activity.
“The suspects have been remanded yesterday to facilitate investigations under Section 148 of the Penal Code for rioting, which carries a maximum jail term of five years, a fine or both upon conviction,” he said.