By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Nov 21: A prisoner who fled from the Sri Aman Central Prison early yesterday morning (Nov 20) was tracked down and arrested by police in under 12 hours.
Sri Aman District Police Chief Superintendent Dennis Bunyam said the escape happened at about 7.15am, when the inmate, identified as 39-year-old John Sambang Sangau, was seen fleeing from the prison’s residential block.
He escaped through an anti-climb gate while within the prison compound.
The inmate had previously been sentenced under Section 15(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 on Oct 20, 2025, and was due to complete his sentence on Jan 24, 2026.
According to a news by TVS, an immediate operation involving police personnel, prison authorities and information from members of the public was launched to locate the fugitive.
Acting on a tip-off about a suspicious-looking man spotted in the Jalan Brayun area, the police moved in to inspect the site.
At around 6.20pm, the search team found the escapee hiding inside an unoccupied house that was still under construction.
Dennis said the swift recapture was made possible through strong cooperation between the Royal Malaysia Police, the Prisons Department and the local community, who quickly supplied crucial information.
He also expressed gratitude to the public for their vigilance and assistance, which helped accelerate the operation.
The case is being investigated under Section 223/224 of the Penal Code, and police will seek a remand order as part of efforts to determine how the escape occurred and whether others were involved. — DayakDaily
