Secure facility: A view of the Pekan Nanas Immigration Detention Centre in Pontian, Johor. — Bernama
JOHOR BARU: Security at the Pekan Nanas Immigration detention centre in Pontian will remain tight to prevent detainees from escaping.
State Immigration Department director Baharuddin Tahir said there were currently 1,070 illegal immigrants, including 20 Rohingya, being detained at the centre, about 35km from Johor Baru.
“The detention centre, which has the capacity to house 1,250 detainees, is the only Immigration detention centre in Johor. So far, there are no cases of detainees escaping.
“The security at the centre remains at the highest level to ensure that the recent incident in Bidor, Perak, does not happen here,” he added.
Baharuddin said this at a press conference on the Immigration Department’s preparation for Chinese New Year travellers at Bangunan Sultan Iskandar (BSI) Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complex here yesterday.
He added that the detention centre has 171 staff members with 40 personnel on duty for each shift.
In the 9.50pm incident on Feb 1, 131 illegal immigrants – comprising 115 Rohingya, 15 Myanmar nationals and one Bangladeshi – escaped from a temporary immigration depot in Bidor, Perak.
One detainee reportedly died in a road accident at KM335 of the North-South Expressway (NSE).
Meanwhile, Perak police chief Comm Datuk Seri Mohd Yusri Hassan Basri said a total of 54 detainees have been recaptured so far. Efforts are ongoing to find the remaining 75.
He said another detainee had died in an accident on Sunday.
Comm Mohd Yusri said police received a call at 9.20pm regarding the incident at KM332.5 of the NSE near Tapah.
He said the initial report stated that the accident involved a pick-up truck and a pedestrian.
“The victim sustained head injuries and died at the scene.
“The body was sent to Hospital Tapah’s forensic department for a post-mortem. The Immigration officer who went to the hospital confirmed that the deceased was one of the escapees,” he said.
He also said that at about 9.45pm on Sunday, police arrested a Rohingya at Felcra Jalan Kachu in Tapah.
Two more escapees were arrested at 3.35am yesterday, one along KM327 of the NSE near Tapah. The other was nabbed at Batu 2, Jalan Pahang in Tapah.
Comm Mohd Yusri urged witnesses to come forward and contact investigating officer Insp P. Prathiparaj at 014-617 8095.
