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KUALA LUMPUR – Police are on the hunt for 176 ethnic Rohingya detainees who fled from the Sg Bakap temporary detention depot in Kedah this morning, said state police chief commissioner Wan Hassan Wan Ahmad.
He said 352 detainees were successfully rearrested, adding the depot centre housed a total of 664 individuals, all of whom are said to be ethnic Rohingya.
Wan Hassan said multiple operations by Kedah and Penang police have been launched to track down and capture the runaway detainees, with roadblocks, patrols, and checks conducted around areas bordering the two states.
“We believe they could have not gotten too far, and we expect to locate all of them.
“We also plead for society’s cooperation where if you see anyone or a group who appear suspicious, some who are barefooted, and resembling those from the Rohingya community, please alert the police.”
He included that Ops Cantas and Ops Kesan to detect and arrest the escapees have been launched by police in both states.
On what caused the riot and eventual escape, Wan Hassan said initial investigations suggested tensions between separate groups that could have escalated beyond control.
“I will reserve my comment on the actual cause of the incident, but maybe certain elements stemming from unhappiness among detainees could have sparked the incident,” he said during a press conference today.
He added that all 23 officers on duty at the detention depot when the incident happened were reportedly unharmed.
“We believe when the riot involving so many individuals was triggered, the 23 officers on duty were outnumbered and unable to control the situation, which led them to alert the police for assistance.”
Wan Hassan noted that police were alerted of the incident around 4am, adding that investigations are being conducted under Section 147 of the Penal Code for rioting, as well as Sections 223 and 224 for escape from confinement and resistance towards lawful apprehension.
This after a riot broke out at the depot centre, which later escalated into a breakout, with more than 400 detainees fleeing the detention centre.
Police also confirmed that six escapees had later died after being knocked down by oncoming traffic when they tried crossing the North-South Expressway. – The Vibes, April 20, 2022
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