Dobrak Baturaja Mobile Prison, 3 Prisoners Escaped

JAKARTA - The Ogan Komering Ulu (OKU) Police, South Sumatra, are hunting down three inmates from the Baturaja Prison who escaped on Thursday (23/4) at around 17.00 WIB.

"We have deployed personnel to help the search," said OKUA Police Chief, Police Commissioner General Endro Aribowo, as reported by ANTARA, Friday, April 24.

He said the OKU Police personnel helped the State Prosecutor's Office and Baturaja Prison officers to close the road access around the escape location.

Until now, a joint team from the prosecutor's office, the detention center, and the OKU Police are still conducting searches at points suspected of being hiding places for the convicts.

"The public is urged to immediately report to the nearest police if they see the presence of the three people," he said.

Meanwhile, the Head of Intelligence, Hendri Dunan, separately said that his party had coordinated with the OKU Police to pursue the three Baturaja Prison inmates who had escaped.

The three prisoners who escaped were HF (50), a resident of Baturaja Lama; AS (39), a resident of Sekar Jaya Village; and NA (38), a resident of Laya Village.

The three are defendants in a narcotics case who are awaiting sentencing.

They fled shortly after the prosecutor's operational car that brought them home from the trial at the Baturaja District Court arrived at the Baturaja Detention Center yard.

"The three detainees are known to be cellmates at the Baturaja Detention Center. They were charged with Article 114 Paragraph (2) of Law Number 35 of 2009 concerning Narcotics with a heavy criminal threat as a dealer," he explained.

He explained that the incident began when the OKU District Attorney's Prison Guard Team, consisting of four members and accompanied by two members of the OKU Police, were carrying out the task of returning the prisoners from PN Baturaja to the BBaturaja Class II State Prison, after undergoing a trial for General Criminal Cases.

This escape was carried out by forcibly breaking the door of the prisoner's car from the inside.

Of the total five people who tried to escape, two prisoners were successfully secured back by the escort officers. However, the other three managed to escape to residential areas and plantations of residents.

"Efforts to pursue were made towards Simpang Lekis and Taruna Forest, but the three of them managed to escape," he said.

His party, together with the OKU Police and Baturaja Prison, is currently continuing to coordinate efforts to search for and arrest the three defendants to serve their sentences again.