TAPAH: The Bidor Temporary Immigration Depot here is about 5 km from the Jalan Tapah-Bidor main road and situated in an oil palm plantation area.
Checks at the depot, which was previously used for Nilam Ehsan's National Service Training Programme (PLKN) camp, found members of enforcement agencies, including police, the Immigration Department and Rela stationed near the entrance.
Vehicle assets especially those of the Immigration Department were seen going in and out between the junction on the main road and the depot area.
A helicopter belonging to the police Air Wing was seen conducting an aerial survey in the nearby area.
Roadblocks were also set up near the Tapah toll plaza.
The depot is located just next to the North-South Expressway (PLUS).
The nearby Sungai Gedong is less than 500 metres from the depot area. The depot is quite far from residential areas.
Reporters and cameramen, who had gathered near the depot's compound since 10.45am today, were not allowed to enter or take visuals inside the detention depot area.
Earlier, police confirmed that 131 illegal immigrants, comprising both Myanmar and Rohingya nationals, escaped from the Bidor Temporary Immigration Depot.
District police chief Superintendent Mohd Naim Asnawi said that before the breakout there was a riot inside the male block depot, and all the detainees managed to flee the facility.
"We received the first call about the incident yesterday, informing us that 131 detainees had escaped the Bidor Immigration Depot.
"One of the escapees died after being involved in an accident at KM335 of the North-South Expressway (northbound)," Naim said.
https://www.nst.com.my/news/crime-courts/2024/02/1008787/updated-op-tutu...