Police in South Korea recaptured five Vietnamese nationals who 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, Yonhap News Agency quoted officials as saying.

According to the Gwangsan police station, officials nabbed one Vietnamese hiding in an undisclosed location in Gwangju, about 270 kilometers south of Seoul, by analyzing CCTV footage and witness testimonies.

Authorities reported that two of the suspects who had fled to neighboring cities notified police officials of their intention to surrender, while the two others showed up at the Gwangju Immigration Office later in the day.

A total of 23 Vietnamese nationals were taken into custody but were not handcuffed around 3:00 am on Sunday while gambling in a house in Gwangju.

While awaiting interrogation, ten of them managed to flee through a small window in a meeting room at the Wolgok police patrol unit station, with the police becoming aware of the mass escape at approximately 6:40 am.

“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 told Yonhap about the window.

Police verified that six of the escapees are unauthorized immigrants, while the remaining four are staying in the country on valid visas.

Their motive of the escape is believed to be the fear of being deported. 

Police officers successfully identified all of the escapees and are presently pursuing leads to locate those who are still hiding.

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