138 escapees back in jail

DENPASAR, Bali: After a two-day manhunt, 138 prisoners who fled Krobokan Penitentiary near Kuta on Sunday have been recaptured or returned voluntarily.

There are 132 inmates who remain on the run.

"We're still searching for the rest of the fugitives," Made Ada, one of the jail wardens, said on Tuesday.

The search is focused on prisoners involved in major crimes such as murders, armed robbery and drug dealing.

"Racing against time, our personnel have been working day and night trying to recapture those inmates," Capt. Surpa Winaya, the chief of the riot police unit in Badung, said.

"If we're late, they might have left Denpasar."

In one of the biggest jailbreaks in the country's history, 270 of 329 prisoners escaped when they were about to attend an evening roll call on Sunday.

Police have issued a shoot-on-spot order for escapees who refuse to surrender. Minister of Law and Legislation Yusril Ihza Mahendra visited the prison on Monday. (zen/edt)