Ten undocumented migrants broke out of Tanah Merah Immigration Depot at about 3 a.m. on August 23, 2026, authorities confirmed [1, 2, 3, 4]. The group consisted of seven Thai nationals, one Indonesian, one Bangladeshi, and one Rohingya from Myanmar, all in bright green detention uniforms with printed ID numbers and shaved heads [1, 2, 5, 4].
Kelantan police chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat said, "It happened at about 3 am today. We will investigate further." The migrants had been in the custody of the Kelantan Immigration Department before the escape [2, 3, 5, 4].
After the breakout, police launched a lockdown operation, codenamed Op Tutup, setting up roadblocks around Tanah Merah to locate and capture the escapees [1, 3, 4]. The last known location of the escapees was reported near Bukit Tebu, Tanah Merah [2, 5].
Around noon on the same day, officers recaptured one male migrant in the Tanah Merah district [1, 4]. However, as of August 24, nine escapees remain at large and security has been tightened at the immigration facility [1, 4].
Authorities urged the public not to confront the fugitives but to immediately report any sightings to the police [2, 5]. The escapees are easily identifiable by their uniform numbers such as 18101 and 18802.
Police continue their search and maintain heightened security measures at the Tanah Merah depot to prevent further incidents [1].
