PEKAN: Police sensed something amiss when they spotted a pickup truck driver reversing his vehicle to avoid passing through a roadblock at Kampung Permatang Arang near here yesterday.
They managed to stop the Ford Ranger and detained the 32-year-old driver after a short chase, before discovering the vehicle was laden with fireworks worth RM8,000.
Pekan district police chief Superintendent Mohd Zaidi Mat Zin said a police team were conducting checks at Kampung Permatang Arang during the 10pm incident.
"We managed to stop the vehicle some 800m from the spot along the road shoulder near Kampung Beruas. Police found several boxes and packets of firecrackers and fireworks in the rear seat," he said, adding they were in the midst of investigating how the mechanic obtained the supplies.
Zaidi said police seized more than 20 types of fireworks and firecrackers of various brands such as Happy Boom, Magic Shot, Data Boom and Cracking Ground Bloom Flower.
He said the suspect was taken to the district police station for further investigations under Section 8 of the Explosives Act 1957.