BANDAR BAHARU: Over 500 illegal immigrants are believed to have fled a temporary Immigration Detention Depot at a former National Service Camp in Jalan Besar Relau, here, early today.
It is learnt they were among over 600 illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, Indonesia and Myanmar detained by the Penang Immigration Department earlier.
Sources said the illegal immigrants were seen fleeing the detention centre around 4am in large groups.
"The Sungai Bakap temporary detention depot is managed by the Penang Immigration Department but the camp itself is located in Jalan Besar Relau, Bandar Baharudin," said a source.
Videos of the illegal immigrants fleeing the camp on foot recorded by local residents, were circulating on social media platforms since this morning.
Penang Immigration Department has activated an operation to arrest all the illegal immigrants with assistance from the Bandar Baharu and Seberang Perai Selatan district police.
It is learnt that over a half the illegal immigrants who fled from the depot, had been recaptured.
It is also understood that Immigration Department director-general Datuk Seri Khairul Dzaimee Daud will call for a press conference in Putrajaya soon.