Hunt for three escaped inmates

Wanted men: The mugshots of the inmates from left Zainuddin Yusof, Zulzailatiman Zakaria and Johari Ahmad.

KEPALA BATAS: Police are hunting for three men who escaped from a drug rehabilitation centre in Kampung Selamat near here.

North Seberang Prai OCPD Asst Comm Noorzainy Mohd Noor said a canine (K9) unit had been deployed to locate the three inmates who fled the Cure and Care Rehabilitation Centre.

He said the men, aged between 35 and 52, climbed over a 3m fence after the subuh prayers before heading towards the palm oil plantation nearby yesterday.

They were wearing the centre’s red T-shirts and dark blue track pants.

ACP Noorzainy said an officer from the centre only realised their disappearance at 7am.

“We sent out the K9 unit which found footprints in Padang Serai at the Penang-Kedah border,” he said in a statement yesterday.

ACP Noorzainy said they had alerted their counterparts in Kulim and Kuala Muda to help with the search.

He said the K9 unit also found pants and gloves along the way believed to have been ditched by the escapees.

He added that the inmates were only placed at the centre two months ago.