Foreigner rearrested after 19 hours on the loose

LIMBANG: An Indonesian suspect, who escaped from police custody, was rearrested yesterday morning after a short-lived 19 hours of freedom.

Limbang District police chief Supt Mohd Bukhori Saffai said the 30-year-old from Timor, Indonesia was rearrested at a house at Mile 3, Jalan Kubong.

He said there was a struggle with police as the suspect acted aggressively in a further bid to escape.

“The suspect was arrested at 11.20am or 19 hours after escaping while heading towards a vehicle at the Limbang police station yesterday,” Mohd Bukhori said in a statement yesterday.

He said the suspect was later taken to Limbang Hospital for a medical check-up.

Mohd Bukhori said the suspect, to be charged under Section 324 of the Penal Code for intentionally causing injury, would be remanded in Limbang Prison.

Police would also continue to look for the handcuffs, which the suspect had escaped with.

On Thursday, the suspect and four other detainees, one of whom was a woman, were handcuff while being escorted to a vehicle for transport to Limbang Prison at 4.15pm.

“When heading towards the vehicle, the suspect suddenly ran away with the handcuffs released from the other male suspect, and the suspect escaped to a nearby forest,” said Mohd Bukhori.

He said police immediately mounted a manhunt for the suspect.

A total of 30 policemen and 10 personnel from the 12th Battalion General Operations Force were involved in the operation.