Ten Vietnamese nationals fled a police station in the southwestern city of Gwangju on Sunday through a window that "only one cat can barely pass through," after they were taken into custody on gambling charges, officials said.
The Gwangsan Police Station said 10 out of the 23 Vietnamese suspects awaiting interrogation escaped through a tilt window in a meeting room of the Wolgok police patrol unit station. Police discovered the mass escape around 6:40 a.m.
They were taken into custody around 3 a.m. on charges of gambling and were not handcuffed.
"This is a space that only one cat can barely pass through and we didn't expect people would get out through it," a police officer said of the window.
Police confirmed that six of the escapees are illegal immigrants, while the remaining four are staying in the country with valid visas.
The suspects are believed to have fled out of fear of deportation.
Police said they have identified the escapees' identities and are currently tracking down their whereabouts.
Source: Yonhap News Agency