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 summ...