The five men who escaped from the Immigration Detention Centre in Aripo seem intent on spending their Christmas on the outside, as they remain at large and one step ahead of authorities who are hunting them down.
Despite extensive searches in north-east Trinidad over the past three days, police were unable to recapture the men up to yesterday evening.
When contacted concerning the search yesterday, TTPS officials said there was no update concerning the escapees, who were last seen at the centre on Thursday at around 3 pm.
The escapees are Krishna Bailey, a 22-year-old Jamaican national, Guyanese national Ryan Badal, 23 and Venezuelan nationals, Rodney Noel Reyes Mendoza, 24, Jose Luis Ramirez Yanez, 27 and Luis Carlos Sifontes, 32.
Their escape comes four years after a similar escape by detainees at the centre.
In December 2014, Grenadian Dickey Amada, Barbadian Rommel Omar Payne, Nigerian Prince Henry Amalu and Jamaican Jeremy Nelson escaped the facility. Nelson surrendered to officers on December 21, 2014, but the others were never recaptured.
The Immigration Detention Centre has been in the spotlight over the course of the year for its inadequate capacity and living conditions for persons who are sent there.
Earlier this year, 150 detainees threatened a hunger strike to protest their living state at the facility.
The search for the escapees is expected to continue today.