The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that more than 200 Acehnese - including women and children - were arrested by the police this morning.

The police cordoned off all roads leading up to its office in Bukit Petaling, Kuala Lumpur, before detaining the Acehnese, who had arrived in taxis and private vehicles.

They were stopped, immediately put into police trucks and taken to the Brickfields district police headquarters ( right ).

Malaysiakini was informed by some detained Acehnese that about 400 people were in the custody of the Brickfields police. District police chief Zulhasnan Najib was not available for comment.

Late this evening, however, a Brickfields police officer clarified the number stood at 239. While he declined to confirm if any of the Acehnese had been released, sources said about 30 had been freed.