KUCHING, July 5: The remaining two detainees who escaped remand at Puncak Borneo Prison on Thursday (July 1), were captured in a joint operation today, ending a five-day search operation.
According to Padawan district police (IPD) deputy chief DSP Lim Jaw Shyong, the two detainees were captured by the General Operations Force’s (GOF) Tiger Platoon in a swamp area nearby Taman Heigh Park, at 2.30pm today, following a public tip-off.
“During the arrest, a scuffle ensued between the operation personnel and one of the detainees, who was determined to escape because he was arrested under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, which carries a mandatory death sentence,” he said during a press conference held at IPD Padawan, today.
Lim noted, all four inmates who have been captured are being placed in the Puncak Borneo Prison.
Meanwhile, Sarawak Prison Department director Hamdan Salleh Majin, said that they are improving the security measures in the Prison Transit House (PTP).
“After the incident, the PTP was vacated in order for the appointed qualified contractor to conduct their work to further improve the security of the building,” he added.
The two escaped detainees who were captured today are a 26-year-old man from Sibu who is remanded for housebreaking and a 38-year-old Indonesian man remanded for drug trafficking.
A total of 137 enforcement personnel from Royal Malaysia Police, together with GOF, and the People’s Volunteer Corps (Rela) were involved in the operation.
On July 1, four detainees who were remanded in Puncak Borneo Prison made their escape through the bathroom window of the PTP, and two of them managed to be captured by the Sarawak Prison Department Personnel on the same day. — DayakDaily
