Ten Vietnamese nationals fled a police station in the southwestern city of Gwangju on Sunday during questioning over gambling charges but five of them have been located, officials said.

The Gwangju Police Station said officials nabbed one Vietnamese hiding in an undisclosed location in Gwangju, about 270 kilometers south of Seoul, by analyzing CCTV footage and witness testimonies.

Two suspects who fled to nearby cities have informed police officials of their plan to surrender, while two others showed up at Gwangju Immigration Office later in the day, authorities said.

A total of 23 Vietnamese nationals were taken into custody around 3 a.m. while gambling in a house in Gwangju, but 10 of them escaped the Wolgok police patrol unit station while awaiting interrogation. Police discovered the mass escape around 6:40 a.m.

They escaped through a tilt window in the station’s meeting room, which opens about 20 centimeters for air circulation, according to officials.

Police said they are tracking down the whereabouts of the other five escapees. They are believed to have fled out of fear of deportation.

Source: Yonhap News Agency