Three of the seven prisoners re-arrested in Stung Treng province on November 10. POLICE
Three out of seven prisoners who broke out of Stung Treng prison have been apprehended by provincial police as of November 10, and authorities are continuing the search for the other 4 inmates.
Police believe the remaining prisoners fled through a forest in Thala Barivat district, according to provincial police chief Out Sivutha.
On November 8 at 3:20am, seven inmates, including five Cambodians and two Laotians, broke through a prison wall and fled, according to the report from a provincial prison guard.
Evidence found by prison guards revealed that the prisoners used drills, horseshoes, sticks, and pillows and blankets to muffle any sound and broke through the prison wall without making a sound.
The report added that prison guards had to use firearms to prevent other inmates from escaping. The escapees were in prison on charges related to drug offenses and robbery with aggravated theft and torture.
Sivutha told The Post on November 10 that as of today, the police had apprehended three of the prisoners who escaped from the provincial prison.
One apprehended prisoner, Touch Rath, 40, was arrested on the evening of November 9. Stung Treng provincial court sentenced Rath on March 20, 2020, to 30 years in jail for drug trafficking.
The other two escapees arrested were Van Phu, sentence to 20 years in prison for drug trafficking, and Kin Ngin, sentenced to 4 years for drug trafficking.
The two were rearrested in Thala Barivat district on November 10.
“Our specialised police force continues the search for the remaining 4 prisoners who are still on the run in the jungle. We will return them to prison to serve out their sentences,” he said. “Let the court decide what action needs to be taken for escaping from prison.”
According to Sivutha, the prisoners could have snuck into the village to look for food as they had none when they escaped from prison, otherwise they would have starved in the forest.
He has also instructed police to increase inspections and surveillance and cooperate with locals to apprehend the inmates.
Stung Treng provincial prison director Chhun Dara told The Post that the apprehended were sent back to the provincial prison.
“The three inmates will face further punishment for the jailbreak,” he said.
