According to the media, Mas Selamat was captured in the early morning of 1 April in a secluded house in Kampung Tawakal, an obscure village with a population of less than 100 in Skudai, northwest of Johor Bahru. According to witness, Mohd Saat Marjo, 57, a villager who lived opposite the fugitive’s home, about 40 personnels from the Royal Malaysian Police—such as the Special Actions Unit (Pasukan Gerakan Khas A-Detachment; UTK) and Special Branch members—broke through two doors and rushed into the house, where Mas Selamat refused to come out and surrender when ordered by the police. Mas Selamat resided in the house's refurbished basement, while his landlord, known only as "Johar", and Johar's wife and two children, resided in the upper portions of the house. Prior to his arrest, Mas Selamat had limited contact with outsiders, even avoiding prayers at the local "surau", but had been witnessed tending to the compound's garden. Villagers in Kampung Tawakal expressed shock of Mas Selamat's presence after his identity was made known to the public.