IPOH: Some 448 Rohingya who were caught after escaping from an Immigration detention depot in Bandar Baharu, Kedah, have been transferred to four other depots in Selangor, Perak and Melaka.

       Kedah police chief Comm Wan Hassan Wan Ahmad said 144 were sent to the Semenyih Depot, Selangor; Machap Umboo Depot in Melaka took 104 detainees; Langkap Depot in Perak (100 detainees) and the remaining 100 detainees to the Bukit Jalil Depot in Selangor.

       “The transfer of the 448 detainees, comprising 272 men, 83 women, 36 boys and 57 girls, to the four depots was conducted until midnight on Wednesday,” he said in a statement.

       Comm Wan Hassan said that so far, a total of 130 detainees, comprising 99 men, 21 women, five boys and five girls were still missing.

       “The search operation for all the detainees concerned will continue until all of them are found. The total number of Rohingya detainees that have been found so far is 398 people, including six who died in an accident during the escape.

       “Two others are injured and are currently being treated at a hospital,” he told Bernama.

       On Wednesday, the Kedah police launched Ops Kesan to find the remaining Rohingya detainees who escaped at about 4.30am.

       The operation was also assisted by Penang and Perak police, members of the Immigration Department, the police’s General Operations Force and the police canine unit.

       Meanwhile, Perak police chief Comm Datuk Mior Faridalathrash Wahid said those caught harbouring any Rohingya escapee would have to face the consequences.

       “There is no need to sympathise and protect them. Please call the police, and we will arrest them, and do the necessary,” he told a press conference in Ipoh yesterday.

       So far, he said, none of the escapees had been found in Perak.

       “They are probably still in Penang, or headed to other northern states.