ALOR GAJAH: A couple attempting to flee the police ended up crashing their car in the Paya Lebar river in Melaka last night.
The couple, who thought they would be caught for 'khalwat' (close proximity), sped off for approximately 14 kilometres, from the Masjid Tanah Forest Reserve area, to Paya Lebar.
Alor Gajah police chief Superintendent Ashari Abu Samah said in the incident, the 30-year-old man driving the car sped off at 9.30pm when he saw officers in a police mobile patrol vehicle (MPV) conducting crime prevention rounds in the forest reserve area.
"Upon reaching Paya Lebar, the car veered off the road and went into the river. The driver then fled. Patrol officers who arrived at the scene searched the vehicle but found no contraband.
"There was a 26-year-old woman still in the car, but the victim did not suffer any injuries," he said in a statement today.
Ashari said officers then sent the woman to her relative's house in Telok Gong, near here.
"We have identified the suspect. Preliminary investigations found that the man fled because he was afraid of being detained by the police for being alone with his girlfriend in the car.
"Checks also found that the man has three previous criminal records related to drugs," he said.