Indonesian police have launched a manhunt for 25 detainees who broke out of a detention center in the city of Palembang, South Sumatra, in the early hours of May 5.
At 2:50 am, one of the detainees at the detention center told a police officer on duty that his fellow inmates had escaped, The Jakarta Post reported. Upon examination, the officer saw that three cells had been unlocked and 30 of the 40 detainees were missing.
The iron bars covering the ventilation system were broken to form a 30×40 centimeter hole, which is where the detainees made their escape.
Supriadi, a spokesperson for the South Sumatra police, said the mastermind behind the escape had yet to be determined and added that the security camera at the detention had not been working since the beginning of May.
Five escapees were recaptured by police at noon on the same day of the escape.
Authorities stressed that firm action would be taken if the 25 escapees tried to resist arrest. Their pictures and names have been made public. As for the five who were captured, they remained silent during interrogation.