GEORGE TOWN, March 29 — For refusing to be arrested by the police after defying the movement control order (MCO), a man jumped into the sea and swam out for about 50 metres at a fish landing jetty in Jelutong, here today.

He also refused to go ashore despite being persuaded several times by the police in an incident which took place at about 5.30pm.

The police decided to stop persuading the man, who was in his 20s, to return to shore, fearing that he might swim out further to sea and endanger his life.

Meanwhile, 13 of his friends, aged 21 and 70 years, who tried to escape were arrested by the police in Ops Covid-19 conducted by a Northeast district police headquarters team after they were found loitering inside a fishing lodge at the jetty.

In the operation beginning at 5pm, Northeast district police chief ACP Soffian Santong said police also arrested three more men, including a Bangladeshi, at the Taman Manggis People’s Housing Project, here, for hanging out in a motorcycle parking lot and giving the excuse they were waiting for a laptop from a friend.

However, he said, further examination revealed that the 21 to 25-year-olds were just sitting there chatting instead of waiting for a laptop.

In addition, Soffian said police also arrested four men, aged 20 to 40 years, for carrying out bird-hunting activities in the forest area of Tanjung Tokong, here.

Meanwhile, Seberang Perai Tengah (SPT) district acting police chief Supt Mohd Mustafa said the police had arrested 24 individuals, between the ages of 20 and 50 years, in the district in the last 24 hours for flouting the MCO. — Bernama