LABUAN: Police have launched an island-wide hunt for a Filipino detainee who escaped from the lockup at the Labuan police headquarters yesterday.
Labuan police chief Superintendent Adzhar Othman yesterday said the incident took place around 5.08 am.
“The 26-year-old man, identified as Ajirin Ajiban, who does not possess any documents, had escaped with a local detainee, Azman Mamat, aged 35, from the cell after they had beaten up and tried to strangle a policeman on guard duty.
“The duo attacked the guard when he allowed them to clean themselves after consuming food given by the guard.
“They then grabbed the lockup key from the guard and escaped by climbing up a wall, he said, adding that there would normally be two guards on duty at the cell.
The police caught Azman about 100 metres away from the cell.
Ajirin was first detained by the police on May 23 for a robbery case.
Adzhar disclosed that they had alerted the police in Sipitang, Menumbok and Beaufort on the incident, and sent his officers and personnel to four points of the Labuan jetty to track down the escaped detainee.
“We believe the detainee is still on the island and in a weak condition as he is also a drug addict,”he said, adding that Ajirin was dressed only in boxer shorts.
Based on the CCTV recording, Adzhar said Azman had punched the guard while Ajirin hit his head with a hard object.
Adzhar said the case was being investigated under Section 224 of the Penal Code for resistance or obstruction to lawful apprehension and is punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years or with a fine, or both.
He added the guard would also be investigated under Section 223 of the Penal Code for negligence which allowed the escape of the two detainees.