Indonesia: Chinese prisoner on death row digs 100-feet tunnel to escape from jail cell; manhunt on

The Indonesian police said on Thursday that a Chinese prisoner on death row escaped by tunneling through the prison's sewage system.

The prisoner named Cai Changpan, 53, was convicted for smuggling methamphetamine. According to media reports, he dug a 30-metre (98 ft) tunnel from his cell at the prison in Tangerang district, on the outskirts of Jakarta, into waste pipes and onto a road outside on early Monday (September 21) morning, the police said.

A manhunt is now on for the fugitive. Meanwhile, the Indonesian police is investigating whether there was negligence or the escape was planned with the help of authorities.

The authorities also plan to distribute leaflets and photographs of Cai to the public.

The prisoner was leaflets and photographs of Cai to the public. It must also be brought to the attention that this was not the first time that Cai had escaped from detention. In 2017, Cai escaped Jakarta police detention centre by breaking a hole in a bathroom wall.

Jailbreaks are said to be common in Indonesia with most of the jail poorly staffed.

The most notable escape would be when 90 inmates escaped a prison in Banda Aceh after tearing down a fence during a prayer gathering in 2018.