“We have received information from Thailand and are trying to track them down but for now, they are still at large,” he said at the 3rd Counter-Terrorism Financing Summit in Bank Negara Malaysia here today.

He said Malaysia could not confirm if they were in the country.

“If they are here, we know how to get them. We are working very closely with Aseanapol and Interpol on this.

“We have the mechanisms to track them and any terrorism activities.”

It was previously reported that Thailand was seeking Malaysia’s cooperation in sending back the 20 Uighurs believed to have slipped into the country after escaping from an immigration detention centre in Sadao yesterday.

However, Thailand Deputy Prime Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwan, has since said five of the 20 had been recaptured.

According to Thai media reports, he did not furnish details about where they were found or even if they were arrested in Thailand or a neighbouring country.

It had been previously reported that between 100 to 200 Uighurs are currently in detention in Thailand.

In the 2am incident on Monday, 20 ethnic Uighurs awaiting repatriation to their home country escaped from Sadao’s immigration detention centre. Officials believe they were headed to the nearby jungle at the Malaysia-Thailand border.

The Uighurs who have been detained at the centre since 2014, escaped after digging a hole in the wall of their cell and climbing down the building using blankets.