KOTA BARU: The lower price of gold in Kelantan since last week had attracted buyers to rush to the jewellery shops in the state.
Their dreams to buy gold, however, were dashed when nine of them were slapped with compounds for flouting Covid-19 Standard Operating Procedures (SOP).
Kelantan police chief Deputy Commissioner Shafien Mamat said the nine people comprised the gold shop owners and their customers, and they were issued with compounds in a two-day operation which ended today.
"Our police personnel were conducting routine checks since yesterday morning, when they saw many customers rushin to a few jewellery shops in the town area.
"The people are rushing to buy gold as the prices dropped recently, but many of them including the premises owners failed to follow the SOP," he added.
Shafien said they were compounded for committing offences such as not wearing face masks and not practicing physical distancing.
It is learnt that local jewellery shop owners had seen their income increase after the price of gold dropped last week.
Many were seen along the five-foot way of the shops waiting for them to open.
The "gold rush" started after news of the drop in prices was reported on social media.