KUALA LUMPUR: Police have detained 10 motorcyclists for illegal racing on the first day of a one-month nationwide operation to curb the Mat Rempit menace.

In the four-hour operation last night, 487 summonses were issued for various offences, including riding without a licence and reckless and dangerous riding.

Federal traffic chief Senior Asst Comm (II) Datuk Hamza Taib said those detained would be charged with reckless and dangerous riding of motorcycles, and they could be jailed for up to six months and fined not more than RM2,000 or both.

Of those detained, eight motorcyclists were from Penang and two from Johor. They were mostly teenagers and youths between 16 and 26 years old.

"The operation is focused on motorcyclists who make public roads their racing track," he told reporters after conducting operations at various locations in the city.

SAC Hamza said 766 motorcyclists were detained for participating in illegal racing or dangerous and reckless riding last year, an increase of 150 from 616 in 2006.

Last year, police seized 61,971 motorcycles, 10,728 more than the number seized in 2006. The operations in other states were held at various towns at the discretion of the state traffic chiefs.

In the operation held in Kuala Lumpur last night, 119 machines were seized after 1,750 motorcyclists were screened. Four tested positive for drug abuse.