Police hunt seven jailbreakers in Medan city

Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan, North Sumatra

Police here said on Tuesday they were searching for seven detainees who broke out of their holding cell in the North Sumatra capital of Medan.

The detainees, who were facing counterfeiting, robbery, theft, drugs and sexual harassment charges, managed to make good their escape on Monday after cutting through rusty bars on a window in a bathroom with a hacksaw, the police said.

They added that the suspects used sarongs tied to the bars to climb down the wall.

North Sumatra police detectives' chief Sr. Comr. Satria Hari Prasetya blamed the jailbreak on the negligence of the officers who were guarding the police detention center.

At least four officers and a number of other detainees were being questioned in connection with the case, he said.

Satria believed that the jailbreak was well planned and involved the assistance of outsiders.

It was impossible that the seven detainees could have obtained the hacksaw without help of accomplices, he said.

"We suspect the hacksaw was smuggled into them by visitors," he added.

Although Satria said he often ordered his subordinates to strictly search visitors to the Medan Police lockup, the directive was often ignored.

The seven who escaped were among 25 detainees awaiting trial. The other 18 detainees opted to stay put.

The seven were identified only by their initials as AN, 37, M, 36, MS, 33, MI, 24, AA, 21, MS, 22, and RL, 24.

Satria said the escape only came to light on Monday morning after a change of guard in D Block.

He said the hunt for the seven escapees involved all district police stations across North Sumatra, but could not say whether the jailbreakers might have already left the province.

"We hope they surrender to us soon. If they are caught, they will face more charges," he added.

Legal activists in North Sumatra commented that the latest jailbreak showed the poor work of the police in guarding detainees.

"This proves once again how unprofessional the police are," Medan Legal Aid Institute (LBH) director Irham Buana Nasution told The Jakarta Post.

He questioned how people could be expected to trust the police to provide security when they could not even secure their own detention center.

"It is a challenge for the National Police to become more professional in ensuring security in our country," Irham added.

Jailbreaks are commonplace in Indonesia, with negligence or collusion on the part of warders usually being involved.

In September, 52 prisoners broke out of an overcrowded jail on the industrial island of Batam, Riau province.

The 52 inmates -- all convicted on drugs charges -- escaped after sawing through the iron bars of their cells and attacking guards.

The escapees were serving sentences of between one and eight years. Two of the escaped prisoners were awaiting trial on charges of possessing 230 kilograms of marijuana.