PUTRAJAYA, Feb 24 — Authorities have launched a major crackdown to dismantle a protection syndicate, where middlemen — locally known as tontos — use bribery to shield errant commercial vehicle operators from the law.

The joint operation by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and the Road Transport Department (JPJ), dubbed Ops Middleman, was rolled out early this morning.

Several media outlets, including Malay Mail, were embedded with enforcement teams to observe the operation firsthand as inspections and monitoring sweeps were carried out across Nilai and various parts of the Klang Valley.

During the raids, numerous lorries were intercepted for spot checks. Enforcement officers confiscated several vehicles and issued summonses for a slew of offences, including overloading and technical non-compliance.

JPJ and police personnel conducted rigorous document and physical inspections, while MACC officers maintained a watchful eye for any signs of bribery or outside interference.

MACC Deputy Chief Commissioner (Operations) Datuk Seri Ahmad Khusairi Yahaya said the crackdown aims to cripple a sophisticated syndicate believed to be acting as the central nexus protecting hundreds of transport companies nationwide.

“This is a planned and systematic syndicate that has functioned as a benchmark for other middlemen networks,” he told reporters on the ground.

“Based on investigations over the past six months, we found that this syndicate has been protecting various road transport offences across Malaysia. At least 300 companies are believed to have paid bribes to this network.”

Ahmad Khusairi said that millions of ringgit were allegedly funnelled from these logistics companies to the syndicate.

The funds were then channelled to corrupt enforcement officers in exchange for turning a blind eye to road offences.

“The failure of previous enforcement operations was due to information leaks from officers involved in this syndicate,” he said, adding that authorities have successfully identified the mastermind behind the network.

“Hundreds of companies are believed to be operating under this main syndicate, and we have so far managed to maintain surveillance on the mastermind.”

He said that such protection rackets have allowed unsafe, non-compliant heavy vehicles to continue prowling Malaysian roads, posing severe and potentially fatal risks to other motorists.

“These vehicles are like moving bombs on the road,” Ahmad Khusairi stressed.

He attributed the success of Ops Middleman to the tight-knit cooperation between the MACC, JPJ, and the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), lauding the joint effort as a prime example of effective inter-agency collaboration in combating corruption linked to public safety.

“I would like to thank JPJ for sharing information with us. This is one of the best examples of agencies working together to resolve the problem of middlemen who have long dominated operations on our roads,” he said.

Authorities confirmed that the operation is ongoing. Investigations are now widening to ensnare more companies and individuals linked to the syndicate, with further arrests and enforcement actions expected in the coming days.