Police hunt for 16 drug offenders after jailbreak
>> NARATHIWAT: A massive manhunt is under way for 16 drug offenders who escaped from a temporary prison in Tak Bai district of this southern province on Friday night, local authorities say.
The breakout took place at about 7pm on Friday from the Khok Yamoo temporary prison on the Tak Bai-Narathiwat Road in tambon Praiwan, said Tak Bai police chief Patcharapol Na Nakhon.
The f acility housed 122 i nmates inmates who committed drug offences and were required to undergo a rehabilitation programme.
Pol Col Patcharapol said the inmates had just finished their evening meal in the prison dining hall and were bringing back their trays and bowls.
As a warder unlocked an iron gate for the four inmates to take the bowls to the washing area, one of the four pushed him down and chaos erupted, said Pol Col Patcharapol who led a team of officers to inspect the site yesterday morning.
A group of 16 inmates, including the four, ran to the main building in the front of the prison compound. One of them used a wooden baton to break three windows to get inside.
Once inside the building, they broke open another window to escape, Pol Col Patcharapol said.
Warders were unable to prevent them from fleeing as the inmates were armed with wooden batons and iron bars and threatening the prison staff.
Police believed the escapees might have plotted their break-out with relatives who might have parked vehicles on a road near the prison which is surrounded by woods.
A family visit took place earlier in the day too, he said.
Police and soldiers were dispatched to search nearby areas and track down the inmates. Checkpoints were set up along possible escape routes to search all vehicles, Pol Col Patcharapol said.
He said authorities were also coordinating with local leaders in areas where families and relatives of the inmates lived to be on the lookout for escapees who might go there for hiding.
The photos of the fleeing inmates were distributed to police and soldiers in all 13 districts of Narathiwat. As of press time, no one had been captured.
The 16 inmates, all from Narathiwat, are identified as Yaha Maming of Cho Airong district; Amphan Kotor, Faison Dueramae, Sulaiman Dorni and Daromin Jaeha, all of Muang district; Echan Jaeming, Waeng district; Saharu Sa-ou, Chanae district; Bararudeng Yusor, Maharong Hama, Abdulloh Hama, Armad Yakor, Veerayut Khongnun and Sulgiflee Yakor, all of Cho Airong; Abdulrohim Binawae Samae, Viriya Doramae and Paosan Bueraheng, all of Tak Bai.