A MAN who resembled Jemaah Islamiah fugitive Mas Selamat Kastari sparked off a brief manhunt on Friday in the wooded area along Bukit Batok East Avenue 3.

Some 50 personnel from the police land divisions, Special Operations Command and the Gurkha contingent were seen combing the forested area.

Police spokesman Stanley Norbert said that they received a call from a member of the public of a possible sighting of the wanted man in the area at about 8.30am.

But after a four-hour search, they only found what looked like a holdout for illegal immigrants.

Clothes and cans of food were found strewn all over the hut.

'Police took no chance and conducted a thorough search of the area but the search was not fruitful,' Mr Norbert said.

He added, 'Nonetheless, the Police thank the member of public for his vigilance. The public can call the Police if they have any information on Mas Selamat. All calls will be kept confidential and all leads will be pursued.'

Mas Selamat escaped from the Whitley Road Detention Centre on 27 Feb.