Police nab 26 escaped immigrants, 18 still loose

KUPANG, East Nusa Tenggara: Police said Friday that they have recaptured 26 of 44 illegal immigrants who escaped from a local immigration detention center.

Kupang Police spokesman Chief Brigadier Benny Gae Dwi said that the fugitives were from Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan and Iraq and were captured in separate locations within hours of their escape.

“We are still tracking down the rest,” Benny told Antara.

The illegal immigrants were detained earlier this year en route to Australia. Indonesia and Australia have a cooperative agreement to manage people detained while trying to enter Australia illegally by sea.

Three escapees were arrested at Kupang’s El Tari Airport while checking in for a flight to Bali, seven were nabbed when they were about to flee to Australia with a boat obtained from a local fisherman and 16 were rounded up at the house of a resident, Hamdan Saleh, who was arrested for harboring fugitives. — JP