Police Recapture 2 of 3 Escapees Who Cut Their Way Out of Cell in Bogale

By Salai Thant Zin 18 September 2018

PATHEIN, Irrawaddy Region — Police have recaptured two of three detainees who escaped from Myoma Police Station in Irrawaddy Region’s Bogale Township early Tuesday.

The three escaped at around 3:30 a.m. after using hacksaws to cut through the bars of their cell. After breaking out of the police station, the trio stole a motorbike from a driver and headed in the direction of Mawlamyinegyun Township.

Two of the detainees were recaptured near Ye Lel village in Maubin Township at around 7:40 a.m. Tuesday during a joint search operation conducted by police from Pyapon District, Bogale Township and Maubin.

The third escapee, identified as Hla Naing Oo, remains at large, according to Irrawaddy Region police.

“We have cordoned off the area to recapture the last escapee,” Police Lieutenant-Colonel Tun Shwe told The Irrawaddy.

One of the two recaptured escapees, former policeman Akar Jue, 23, was originally detained for theft. The other, Poe Phyu, 19, was originally detained on a charge of assault to commit theft. Hla Naing Oo, 33, was detained on a rape charge, police said.

Irrawaddy Regional police commander Police Colonel Shwe Thaung was personally supervising the effort to find Hla Naing Oo.

In August last year, 10 detainees escaped from a cell at the Myoma Police Station in Irrawaddy Region’s Mawlamyinegyun Township, though all were later recaptured.

On Sunday, 41 inmates managed to escape from Taung Kalay Prison in Karen State’s Hpa-an Township after stealing a truck that had come to collect garbage at the prison. Twenty-one of them were recaptured the following day, while the leader of the prison break was reportedly shot dead.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.