Four escape from Manggatal Detention Centre
KOTA KINABALU: Four illegal immigrants escaped from the Manggatal Temporary Detention Centre near here on Tuesday.
According to Kota Kinabalu police chief ACP Habibi Majinji, the five detainees made their escape at around 4.55 pm on March 19.
“Police investigation revealed that the incident happened when the guard on duty was bringing food for the detainees.
“As the guard was opening the gate, the five detainees accosted the guard and pushed him to the ground, and then ran towards the back of the block before climbing over a fence that was about 12 feet high.
“Several guards gave chase and managed to apprehend one of the detainees, but the four others, including a youth, managed to escape,” he disclosed yesterday.
Police immediately mounted a manhunt for the four detainees including setting up roadblocks around Manggatal, Inanam and Telipok areas.
The four escapees have been identified as Sanny Chuan, 21, Talam b. Jafar, 27, Faisal b. Hamsali, 36, and 15-year-old Azlan Abu Bakar Sidik.
Theses detainees were initially held under Section 34 of the Immigration Act 1959/63.
Habibi said, the case was being investigated under Section 223 and Section 224 of the Penal Code for escape from confinement negligently suffered by a public servant, and resistance or obstruction by a person to his lawful apprehension, respectively.
Meanwhile, in an earlier WhatsApp message, Habibi clarified that the four detainees were not listed as dangerous, as claimed in the social media, as they were only detained under the Immigration Act for documentation purposes.
“They (detainees) were detained temporarily, while waiting for a response from our neighbour Philippines,” read the WhatsApp message.