GEORGE TOWN: Police have detained five men to assist investigations into a fight between a group of men during a road accident at the Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway here yesterday.
Several video footages of the fight have gone viral on Facebook since yesterday afternoon.
Northeast district police chief Assistant Commissioner Soffian Santong said checks showed the video footages were taken by the public at about 2pm following an accident involving a lorry carrying mosaic tiles and two cars on the expressway.
He said, based on investigations, the fight involved about 20 men, all of whom were car towing workers, due to a misunderstanding over towing rights of the vehicles involved in the accident.
"Policemen from the northeast district police headquarters who were at the scene tried to break of the fight but to no avail. They then sought help from the motorcycle patrol unit (URB) and police mobile patrol vehicles (MPV).
"When the URB and MPV arrived at the scene, all the individuals fled.
"To date, we have picked up five men, aged between 26 and 50, in various parts of George Town, to assist investigations," he said today.
Soffian said police also seized weapons used in the fight, which included helmets and 'motorcycle fork locks'.
The case is probed under Section 148 of the Penal Code.
Police will apply for a remand order against the five suspects at the Magistrate's Court here today.
Soffian said further investigations are underway to track the remaining suspects.