Haji Samirudin (left) and Riki Rinaldi.
KULAI: Two Indonesian detainees, who were on the way to prison to serve their sentence, managed to free themselves from their handcuffs and ran off into an oil palm estate.
Kulai OCPD Supt Tok Beng Yeow said the suspects, aged 36 and 40, escaped at around 11.20am on Tuesday (April 11).
He said earlier in the day, the detainees, along with two other Indonesian men, were brought to a Kota Tinggi court at 8am where they were charged under Section 5(2) of the Immigration Act 1959/63.
“They were initially arrested by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) for not having valid travel documents to enter Malaysia and the court sentenced them to six months’ imprisonment.
“After the court session ended, three MMEA personnel were tasked to transport the four accused in a van bound for the Ledang prison where their sentence will be carried out.
“However, while on their way, two of them managed to free themselves from the chained handcuffs before kicking the van’s back door to escape.
“They then ran off into an oil palm plantation near Jalan Felda Inas heading towards Sengkang,” he said in a statement.
The two escaped detainees were identified as Haji Samirudin, 36, and Riki Rinaldi, 40.
Supt Tok added that a search team has been launched, including the police’s K9 dog detection unit, to hunt down the two men and urged the public to assist the police in the matter.
He said the case is classified under Section 223/224 of the Penal Code which carries a jail term of up to two years and a fine, or both upon conviction.
He urged those with information about the case to contact the Kulai police operations room at 07-663 7222 or the nearest police station.
