'Kopi money'? Woman in Singapore-registered car accuses Johor policeman of extorting $170

[UPDATE March 14] The Johor police said they will be calling up the couple from Singapore who alleged that officers at the officers at the Sultan Iskandar Building's Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Complex had extorted them, reported The Star.

This is after they have not received any reports made by the victims about the incident, Johor police chief M. Kumar said.

"We have made an official request to the Singapore Consulate-General's office in Johor Bahru to help identify the Facebook users named 'Sage' and 'Irene Teo' to help with the investigation," he said.

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Travellers in two Singapore-registered cars have accused police officers in Johor Bahru of extortion last Sunday (March 10).

In a Facebook post shared on Tuesday (March 12), Irene Teo said she was on the car lane at the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) Complex at Johor Bahru on Sunday at about 8pm. 

Teo, a Singaporean, added that several police officers had opened the lane meant for lorries and directed them to drive there instead.

She said: "We followed another Singapore-plate car and it led us to a deserted side road beside the Customs.

"A policeman then came riding in a motorcycle and he asked when did we use this route to go back to Singapore. We didn't know it would lead us to the unauthorised counters"

Describing how they felt unsafe at that time, Teo said that the police officer asked for her Singaporean companion's driving licence, and claimed that he would "help" them go back to the car lane.

But it comes at a price - to the tune of RM600 (S$170), she said, adding that the police labelled it as a "fine" for driving into the wrong lane,

She claimed that the cops "advised" them to pay up on the spot, while appearing to give her the option of lodging a report in their office.

"[He told us] we still have to pay the fine there and our data will be recorded in the police system, and said it is not good for us," Teo added.

"We told him we can go to the office to pay the fine officially but he just simply ignored us, and one of our passports is with him."

Teo shared that they eventually paid a reduced amount of RM500 to the police officer, and was directed back to the car lane.

'A Singaporean car means jackpot'

After Teo's post had gone viral, another traveller had come forward with her own account with the same police officer.

The Malaysian said that she was in the Singapore-registered vehicle with her boyfriend, and was "unlucky" to be targeted by this scheme.

According to several videos uploaded on TikTok, she shared that the police officers deliberately led them to the wrong lane and "ambushed" them while confiscating their documents.

The woman said that she paid RM100 to get back her boyfriend's driver licence.

She added: "Apparently, we were too naive and didn't see it coming. Especially since Raya is coming soon, to the police officers, a Singaporean car means jackpot.

"I've decided not to let my boyfriend and his mother drive a Singapore-registered car to JB anymore."

[embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@momochan9321/video/7345431896253336833[/embed]

Johor police have said that they are investigating the alleged extortion, the New Straits Times reported.

Chief commissioner M. Kumar said police are aware of the footage that was shared on social media.

"Attempts have been made to contact Teo, but she is yet to respond. We have also recorded statements from the policemen manning traffic during the alleged incident," he said.

"If the allegations are true, it will be investigated thoroughly without compromise. We do not tolerate any form of misuse of power and acts of alleged bribery."

AsiaOne has contacted the two travellers for more information. 

ALSO READ: Self-service? Singapore woman says Johor traffic police pulled her car over, took $100 out of husband's wallet

chingshijie@asiaone.com