Police, with assistance from the Immigration Department, are intensifying efforts to track down nine illegal immigrants who remain at large after escaping from the Tanah Merah Immigration Detention Depot early Sunday morning.
Tanah Merah district police chief Superintendent Mohd Haki Hasbullah said search operations were being conducted across several locations, including through roadblocks set up at strategic points in the district.
He said one of the 10 escapees had been recaptured in Tanah Merah at about midday on Sunday, just hours after the escape.
“Efforts to trace the remaining nine PATI who are still at large are also receiving the cooperation of the public, who are urged to channel information if they are hiding or are in the surrounding areas.
“In addition, we have uploaded information about the incident on the Facebook page of the Tanah Merah District Police Headquarters (IPD) to seek the public’s cooperation,” he said.
Police had earlier reported that 10 illegal immigrants escaped from the detention depot at about 3am on Sunday, prompting authorities to launch an extensive manhunt in Tanah Merah and surrounding districts.
The escapees comprised seven Thai nationals and one each from Indonesia, Bangladesh and Myanmar.
Kelantan police chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat was previously reported as saying that police had launched Ops Tutup in Tanah Merah and nearby districts to locate and recapture the escapees.
Members of the public with information on the whereabouts of the nine fugitives are urged to contact the Tanah Merah District Police Headquarters at 09-9556222 or the Tanah Merah Police Station at 09-9556223. - August 24, 2026
