KUALA LUMPUR – A total of 131 Rohingya detainees reportedly escaped from the immigration detention depot in Bidor, Perak, last night.
Speaking to Scoop, Perak police chief Datuk Seri Mohd Yusri Hassan Basri confirmed the incident, adding that Op Tutup was launched in various locations, including the Muallim district, to track down and rearrest the illegal immigrants who had escaped the detention facility.
He said all of them were under the supervision of the Immigration Department when the incident occurred at 9.50pm.
Yusri also said one of them had died in an accident at KM335 on the North-South Expressway near Bidor.
“We are currently tracking down the remaining 130 Rohingya illegal immigrants.”
Meanwhile, Immigration Director-General Datuk Ruslin Jusoh said in a statement that following the incident, the department, in collaboration with several other agencies, is actively carrying out operations to rearrest all 130 illegal immigrants who escaped.
He said that a total of 275 personnel from various agencies, including the Immigration Department, police, the General Operations Force (GOF), and the People’s Volunteer Corps, have been deployed since last night to locate and apprehend the escaped detainees.
“This morning, an additional 100 personnel, including officers from the Immigration Department and GOF, were added to beef up the ongoing search efforts for the immigrants.
“The public is urged to come forward with any information regarding these illegal immigrants by contacting the Bidor immigration depot operations room at 05-434-8736, the Bidor police station at 05-434-2222, or the Tapah police station at 05-401-1222.” – February 2, 2024