KEPALA BATAS, April 20 — Tired of being home for too long was the excuse given by 16 Nepalese men who were arrested while playing futsal in an open warehouse in the town of Pekan Darat, here yesterday.

Seberang Perai Utara (SPU) district police chief ACP Noozainy Mohd Noor said the men aged between 25 and 40 were caught unawares by a team conducting an Ops Covid-19 monitoring patrol in conjunction with the movement control order (MCO) at 5.30pm.

Other patrols conducted around SPU yesterday also led to the arrest of eight Myanmar nationals aged 27 to 46 who were hanging out on a field in Mak Mandin.

"Most of these foreigners work in factories in the area and I urge their employers to advise them to stay home and not do any outdoor activities during the implementation of the MCO,l as stern action will be taken,” he said here today.

Seberang Perai Tengah (SPT) district Police chief ACP Shafee Abd Samad meanwhile said police also arrested eight local men and five Vietnamese women including the owner of a karaoke centre in Taman Sejahtera, Bukit Mertajam yesterday.

They were caught while entertaining themselves to music and consuming liquor. — Bernama