Eighteen people are under police custody for allegedly violating the Conditional Movement Control Order, or CMCO, after they were found at a house party in Ipoh on Saturday.
The gathering was interrupted when police stormed into the Casa Kayangan apartment where the gathering took place. Youths aged between 17 and 26 were among those at the premises. They also include the party organizer, four women, and a high school student.
The raid was conducted by officers from the Anti-Vice, Gambling, and Secret Societies Division, according to police, who also said that they had heard loud music blasting from the premises at 2am before they broke into the apartment by forcing the door open.
All 14 men and four women had failed to provide a valid reason as to why they were at the gathering, police added. A Sonic Gear speaker, two other small speakers and an iPhone were seized.
Some of the suspects, including the 24-year-old party organizer, were previously arrested for a similar reason, police said. The organizer was once arrested in connection with a sexual assault charge.
All 18 of them are expected to remain under police custody until tomorrow to assist with police investigations.
Large gatherings are prohibited under the CMCO law which is still in effect until next Tuesday. If found guilty of violating the CMCO, the suspects face a fine of up to RM1,000 (US$230) and six months’ jail.
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