Bidor breakout: Hunt for escapees continuing tonight

TAPAH: The operation to track down the remaining 123 escapees from the Temporary Immigration Depot in Bidor is continuing on Friday (Feb 2) night.

It is learnt that 15 of the escapees were detected in nearby oil palm estates and the authorities were concentrating their search in these areas.

Media personnel were following the search operation in an oil palm estate located off the south-bound Tapah Rest and Treatment Area, one of the areas where the escapees are believed to be hiding.

ALSO READ: Bidor breakout: Four of escaped detainees recaptured, 127 still at large, says Immigration Dept

About 15 personnel from the Immigration Department and General Operations Force entered the area using searchlights.

They were split into two groups and the situation was quite challenging as they had to trudge through soggy and slippery grounds.

Soon after the media team reached the operation area, two escapees were captured, bringing the number rearrested to six.

ALSO READ: Police intensifying search for escaped detainees in Bidor

However, when contacted on Friday night, Perak police chief Datuk Seri Mohd Yusri Hassan Basri said seven escapees had been recaptured so far.

At about 9.50pm on Thursday (Feb 1) night, 131 illegal immigrants who were mostly Rohingya detainees rioted and broke out of the detention centre.

However, one of them was killed in an accident at KM 335 of the North-South Highway. - Bernama