Bhopal, May 28 (IANS): Over a dozen sports bikes were seized by the Bhopal traffic police after the riders were found performing stunts and using modified silencers, police said.

While the police team was patrolling late at night on Saturday, it noticed bikers performing stunts in the Kohefiza area of old Bhopal city. The police found the bikers fitted with modified silencers that create noise pollution.

The patrolling team alerted other police teams and subsequently the bikers were cornered. Seeing the police vehicles, the bikers tried to flee from the spot leaving their bikes. Some were detained and later released. "Seized Sports bikes including BMW, Ninja, Hayabusa are worth several crores," said a traffic cop on Sunday.

The cop further said the action was part of an initiative launched against modified vehicle silencers in the city. On April 28, the Madhya Pradesh Police launched a drive against manufacturing and sale of modified silencers for vehicles.

An extensive search operation was carried out at the vehicles' components manufacturing units, garages and car decorators, and the shops selling modified vehicle silencers across Madhya Pradesh.

The move came following the implementation of the rules of Section 182 A (3) of Motor Vehicle Act, 1988, according to which, "manufacturing and sale of modified silencers for vehicles are punishable."

Anurag Sharma, Additional Commissioner of Police (traffic /crime) of Bhopal had then told IANS that the implementation of Section 182 A (3) of Motor Vehicle Act, 1988 has became the need of hour in order to put a ban on manufacturing and selling of the vehicle components that are categorised as contravention of the provisions of the traffic norms.

The violation of the rules will amount to the imprisonment of one year along with a heavy fine up to Rs one lakh.