Police hunt seven jailbreakers in Medan city<\/p>\n
Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan, North Sumatra<\/p>\n
Police here said on Tuesday they were searching for seven
\ndetainees who broke out of their holding cell in the North
\nSumatra capital of Medan.<\/p>\n
The detainees, who were facing counterfeiting, robbery, theft,
\ndrugs and sexual harassment charges, managed to make good their
\nescape on Monday after cutting through rusty bars on a window in
\na bathroom with a hacksaw, the police said.<\/p>\n
They added that the suspects used sarongs tied to the bars to
\nclimb down the wall.<\/p>\n
North Sumatra police detectives' chief Sr. Comr. Satria Hari
\nPrasetya blamed the jailbreak on the negligence of the officers
\nwho were guarding the police detention center.<\/p>\n
At least four officers and a number of other detainees were
\nbeing questioned in connection with the case, he said.<\/p>\n
Satria believed that the jailbreak was well planned and
\ninvolved the assistance of outsiders.<\/p>\n
It was impossible that the seven detainees could have obtained
\nthe hacksaw without help of accomplices, he said.<\/p>\n
\"We suspect the hacksaw was smuggled into them by visitors,\"
\nhe added.<\/p>\n
Although Satria said he often ordered his subordinates to
\nstrictly search visitors to the Medan Police lockup, the
\ndirective was often ignored.<\/p>\n
The seven who escaped were among 25 detainees awaiting trial.
\nThe other 18 detainees opted to stay put.<\/p>\n
The seven were identified only by their initials as AN, 37,
\nM, 36, MS, 33, MI, 24, AA, 21, MS, 22, and RL, 24.<\/p>\n
Satria said the escape only came to light on Monday morning
\nafter a change of guard in D Block.<\/p>\n
He said the hunt for the seven escapees involved all district
\npolice stations across North Sumatra, but could not say whether
\nthe jailbreakers might have already left the province.<\/p>\n
\"We hope they surrender to us soon. If they are caught, they
\nwill face more charges,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Legal activists in North Sumatra commented that the latest
\njailbreak showed the poor work of the police in guarding
\ndetainees.<\/p>\n
\"This proves once again how unprofessional the police are,\"
\nMedan Legal Aid Institute (LBH) director Irham Buana Nasution
\ntold The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
He questioned how people could be expected to trust the police
\nto provide security when they could not even secure their own
\ndetention center.<\/p>\n
\"It is a challenge for the National Police to become more
\nprofessional in ensuring security in our country,\" Irham added.<\/p>\n
Jailbreaks are commonplace in Indonesia, with negligence or
\ncollusion on the part of warders usually being involved.<\/p>\n
In September, 52 prisoners broke out of an overcrowded jail on
\nthe industrial island of Batam, Riau province.<\/p>\n
The 52 inmates -- all convicted on drugs charges -- escaped
\nafter sawing through the iron bars of their cells and attacking
\nguards.<\/p>\n
The escapees were serving sentences of between one and eight
\nyears. Two of the escaped prisoners were awaiting trial on
\ncharges of possessing 230 kilograms of marijuana.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/police-hunt-seven-jailbreakers-in-medan-city-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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