Four of the 131 illegal immigrant detainees who fled from a depot in Perak have been re-apprehended, according to the Immigration Department. Immigration Department director-general Datuk Ruslin Jusoh revealed the development at a press conference on Friday, February 2nd at 4pm. He also stated that the four individuals are currently undergoing identity verification.
Ruslin confirmed that the deceased detainee who died in a road accident during the escape was a 33-year-old Rohingya. Following the incident, all remaining detainees in the Temporary Immigration Depot in Bidor have been relocated by the department.
“We have moved the remaining 435 detainees to six other permanent depots,” Ruslin said, specifying that the detainees have been transferred to facilities in Melaka, Negri Sembilan, Kuala Lumpur, and Pahang. He also noted that security has been increased at all depots, especially the 12 permanent ones in Peninsular Malaysia.
As the cause of the riot remains under investigation, the department has determined that the detainees broke out of three of the eight blocks in the depot, breaking through metal gates. Ruslin also mentioned that detainees who did not participate in the riots will be interrogated, and no issues have been reported from the depot within the last year.
At the time of the incident, there were 14 officers inside the depot blocks and an additional 28 outside. These guards were not armed with firearms, in accordance with department SOPs. Ruslin also stated, “Our experience has shown that the Rohingyan detainees were seen to be more aggressive compared to the others, so moving forward, we will separate them.”
“We have done so in the past, but we will do so more aggressively now. This also includes separations within the holding blocs. We do not want them to group up in one place,” he added, emphasizing that weaknesses will also be addressed.
