Partygoers use ingenious plan to hide from cops, still get caught

SERI KEMBANGAN: Knocking on walls and squeezing through narrow trap doors, police managed to root out a group of partygoers who thought they had hit on an ingenious plan to escape capture.

The group, which was having a private party at an abandoned spa in a shopping complex, had used a series of trap doors and false walls to escape and hide under a stairwell.

Serdang OCPD Asst Comm Razali Abu Samah said the police team raided the premises at around 11.30pm on Friday.

“They walked into the premises in Persiaran Serdang Perdana and knew something was amiss as the air-conditioning system was turned on but no one was there.

“We also found a bucket containing alcoholic beverages in one of the rooms.

“The team then started knocking on walls looking for a trap door and found a two-foot opening,” he told reporters when met at the scene yesterday.

Police officers, said ACP Razali, went through the opening before going down a narrow path that eventually led them into a small room.

“They found empty racks there but no one could be seen. Police continued knocking and pushing at the walls to look for another escape route.

“When they pushed one of the racks, they found a trap door leading to a stairwell. There, we found and arrested eight local men and 11 Vietnamese women hiding there,” he said.

Investigations showed that the group had contacted an agent to use the premises, said ACP Razali, adding that police were now probing whether the premises was used regularly for private parties.

He said those arrested would be issued with a RM1,000 compound for violating the conditional movement control order.

“We believe the group was also involved in immoral activities as we found condoms there,” ACP Razali added.