Ten illegal immigrants who ran away from the Bidor Immigration detention center on Thursday night have been caught so far, according to Immigration director-general Datuk Ruslin Juson.
Ruslin stated that the hunt for the remaining 120 escapees would continue until all have been taken into custody.
On Friday morning, two of the escapees were arrested at the Batu Melintang Mosque after asking for water from congregants, according to Ruslin. In addition, another escapee was detained in the Sementa Orang Asli Village, which is within 12km of the detention center.
“The detainees are leaving the premises to find food,” he told a press conference in Tapah on Saturday.
He also reported that efforts to recapture the escapees, in cooperation with the police, General Operations Force, Air Operations Force, Criminal Investigation Department, and the People’s Volunteer Corps (Rela), have made positive progress.
Ruslin emphasized that the search is focusing on foreign national settlements, mosques, vacant houses, surau, and Orang Asli villages around Tapah.
“These escaped detainees may seek help from acquaintances or relatives to hide in illegal settlements around Tapah,” he said, urging the public to report any suspicious individuals requesting food or water.
Ruslin also instructed Immigration authorities across the country to conduct large-scale operations as the target and radius of the search have been expanded.
“Tomorrow, 100 more personnel will report to the Bidor Immigration depot,” he said.
Regarding the evacuation of the depot, Ruslin said, “Around 11pm on Friday, 100 female detainees were relocated to depots in Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur; Lenggeng, Negri Sembilan; and Kemayan, Johor.” The breakout on Thursday night involved a total of 131 illegal immigrants, including 115 Rohingya detainees, 15 Myanmar nationals, and one from Bangladesh. – Bernama
