KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysian authorities detained more than 100 Rohingya Muslim asylum seekers on Monday who had gathered outside the U.N. refugee agency in Kuala Lumpur, saying they were seeking protection after being evicted from their homes.

All of the refugees outside the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) were taken away with their belongings in four police trucks at around 8:30 p.m., according to witnesses at the scene.

A police official, who declined to be identified, said they were being taken to police headquarters in Kuala Lumpur for further checks.