Some Rohingya escapees detected in Selayang

KUALA LUMPUR - The Immigration Department has detected some Rohingya refugees who escaped from the Sungai Bakap Immigration Detention Depot, Kedah around Selayang.

Malaysian Immigration Department director-general Datuk Seri Khairul Dzaimee Daud said the department and the police were currently working together to identify the detainees' exact location for further action.

He said the department believed that the refugees who were still at large were familiar with the areas in Penang as well as in Kuala Lumpur.

“We believe that these people know the areas here because they used to work here and been here before.

"They have a community here and there is a high possibility that this had helped them escape," he told reporters at the Selayang and Kuala Lumpur Wholesale Markets, here on Thursday.

He added that the authorities were actively hunting for 61 refugees who are still on the run.

On April 20, a total of 528 Rohingya detainees were reported to have escaped from the temporary detention depot by breaking down the door and barrier grill in the incident which occurred at about 4.30am.

Six of them died in an accident while trying to cross the road at Kilometer 168 of the North -South Expressway (Plus).

Following the incident, the Kedah police launched the Op Kesan operation to track down the remaining Rohingya refugees who fled.

Apart from that, Op Tutup was also carried out with four roadblocks mounted in Seberang Perai Selatan, four in Bandar Baharu and five in Kulim, Kedah.

The case is being investigated under Sections 223/224 and 147 of the Penal Code.

The depot has been rented since last year and could accommodate up to 700 detainees, with strict control by the immigration personnel and the Malaysia Volunteers Corps Department (Rela).