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171 escaped inmates rearrested
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Arrested: Police personnel arrest inmates who fled from Sialang Bungkuk Penitentary, Pekanbaru, Riau, at noon on Friday (JP/File)
N
ational Police spokesperson Brig. Gen. Rikwanto has said most of the inmates who escaped from the Class IIB Sialang Bungkuk Penitentiary in Pekanbaru, Riau, on Friday have been caught.
Around 200 inmates reportedly escaped during a riot triggered by overcapacity in the prison.
“Of the total, 171 inmates have been rearrested,” said Rikwanto as quoted by kompas.com in a written statement on Saturday.
According to the police, 169 inmates were caught in Pekanbaru while the other two were arrested in Seikijang district, Pelalawan regency.
(Read also: Inmates flee from Pekanbaru prison)
Rikwanto said mediation efforts were underway to encourage inmates who remained at large to agree to return to their cells. “The situation is all under control,” he said.
A clash between inmates and prison officers reportedly occurred before the prison break. The inmates escaped the prison in protest at the overcapacity problem in Sialang Bungkuk Penitentiary, which has only 361 cells to accommodate 1,800 inmates.
The Riau Police are calling on inmates who remain at large to immediately surrender. The police have also asked anyone to immediately report to authorities if they see people behaving suspiciously.
“It would be better for them if they [inmates] surrendered because our officers in the field will take decisive and measured steps,” said Riau Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Guntur Aryo Tejo. (mrc/ebf)
