Teenagers gather at HCM City-Long Thành-Dầu Giây Expressway for illegal motorbike racing at midnight on March 19, blocking traffic and disrupting public order. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Traffic police will go undercover in a bid to tackle illegal street motorbike racing, the HCM City Police Department has announced.

The move comes amid increasing reports of groups of teenagers gathering for midnight motorbike racing on quiet roads in the city, threatening social order and the lives of civilians.

The youngsters have created private groups on social networking apps to arrange races and typically use lookouts to warn racers of approaching police officers.

The riders are mostly aged from 16 to 24 and do not wear helmets.

To handle this situation, the city police have taken measures such as inspecting repair shops which perform modifications to increase motorbikes’ speed for racing.

Communications to enhance awareness of the ban on spectating illegal night raising has also been carried out.

Undercover police will also be mobilised to discover and chase teenagers riding modified motorbikes and joining street motorbike racing.

The police have asked citizens to inform local authorities and the police when detecting repair shops modifying motorbikes for racing or groups of teenagers gathering for illegal racing.

Alcohol and drug violations

The Traffic Police Department has handled more than 9,640 cases of drug and alcohol violations when driving after two weeks of launching a campaign on traffic violations nationwide.

By Monday, police had found nearly 9,540 drivers who had consumed an excessive amount of alcohol and 114 others positive for drugs. The police have collected VNĐ32 billion (US$1.38 million) in fines, revoked 5,379 driving licences and seized 9,648 vehicles.

The police said more patrols to deter traffic violations would be launched during the upcoming Reunification and Labour Day (April 30 and May 1) holidays. — VNS