Male detainee escapes from Bayan Lepas Police Station

GEORGE TOWN: Penang police are tracking down a male detainee who escaped from the Bayan Baru Police Station central lockup near here at midnight yesterday (April 26).

Penang police chief Datuk Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain said the fugitive, identified as Azizi Mohammad Hassan, 33, was arrested for drug offences on April 20, and escaped from the lock-up at about midnight.

"The man who was arrested in a Jelutong raid was awaiting a decision on whether to be detained under the Dangerous Drugs (Special Preventive Measures) Act (LLPK) 1985.

"Following his escape, police launched an operation to track down the suspect and we also detained six policemen with the rank of lance corporal and corporal who were on duty when the detainee escaped," he said after launching the 18th Jelajah Op Selamat programme at the Penang Police Contingent-level at the Bayan Baru Ramadan Bazaar today.

He said police will probe for any element of negligence involving the six personnel in their 20s to 30s now remanded for three days for investigation under Section 223/224 of the Penal Code.

Meanwhile, in news on the Rohingya who fled the Sungai Bakap Immigration Detention Depot at Jalan Besar Relau in Kedah at the dawn of April 20, Mohd Shuhaily said a Rohingya girl who was involved in the accident at KM168 of the North-South Highway (PLUS) had died at the Seberang Jaya Hospital (HSJ).

He said the 14-year-old suffered severe head injuries in the accident that killed six Rohingya on the spot and she had been receiving treatment at HSJ since Wednesday last week, before she died at 10.39 am yesterday.

"Apart from the teenager, a 21-year-old Rohingya man from the April 20 accident was reported to be in stable condition at HSJ," he said.

He said police had also recorded the testimony of the 53-year-old driver of the car involved, as well as several other witnesses to complete the investigation paper on the accident.

In the meantime, he said police were still hunting for 61 Rohingya on the run while he did not rule out the possibility that they had been 'assimilated' into the community with help in terms of food, clothing and shelter from their ethnic group in the state and Kedah.

On the Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration expected to fall on May 3, Mohd Shuhaily said Penang police were expecting 3.6 million vehicles on the roads and highways returning to the state and Kedah and Perlis beginning this Friday.

According to him, Penang police chief Datuk Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain said that they expected congestion when about 1 million of those vehicles entered the island area.

"We expect an overflow of vehicles and congestion in several locations in Penang, so I urge all drivers to be patient and obey traffic instructions and police on duty," he added.

He said among the roads identified with congestion and as accident-prone were Jalan Teluk Air Tawar-Jalan Bagan Luar (Seberang Perai Utara), Jalan Perusahaan Perai-Jalan Kulim (Seberang Perai Tengah), Jalan Besar Simpang Ampat (KM12-KM32), Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Highway-Jalan Ayer Itam (northeast), Jalan Ayer Itam-Paya Terubong (northeast) and Jalan Tun Dr Awang (southwest).

Mohd Shuhaily said a total of 360 personnel from the Penang Contingent Traffic Enforcement Department would be on duty during Op Selamat 18 for the Aidilfitri season.

-- BERNAMA