20 detainees escape by digging 20m tunnel

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20 detainees escape by digging 20m tunnel

PORT MORESBY: Twenty Goroka police detainees broke out of their lockup by digging a 20m-long tunnel, Eastern Highlands commander Supt Michael Welly says.

“The breakout was discovered on Nov 29 (2021) and the escapees are still at large,” he added.

The escapees were arrested for various crimes – theft, murders, rapes, armed robberies and attempted murders.

Details of the news break were published by The National:

20 escape by digging 20m tunnel

December 24, 2021The NationalNational

TWENTY Goroka police detainees broke out of their lockup by digging a 20m-long tunnel, Eastern Highlands commander Supt Michael Welly says.
“The break-out was discovered on Nov 29, and the escapees are still at large,” he said.
“They are a threat to communities.”
Supt Welly appealed to the public to report to police if the fugitives were sighted and warned anyone harbouring them would be arrested and charged.
He said the police cell block was undergoing maintenance and the detainees were from the uncompleted cell block.
“They dug into the toilet hole in the cell block and broke the cement wall,” he said.
“They reached an opening at the end and made their escape.
“The detainees were arrested for various crimes – theft, murders, rapes, armed robberies and attempted murders.
“They are quite notorious and I strongly appeal to the public to help us recapture every one of them.”
Supt Welly also ordered an internal investigation to find out who were the policemen responsible for holding the suspects in the incomplete cell blocks.
“The escape is a major incident and we must find out whether it was negligence that resulted in the breakout,” he said.
“Policemen failing to do their job will be dealt with.
“However, the contractor was called in to speed up the completion of renovation as fast as possible.
“The Goroka town authority and engineers also need to fix the water supply problems in the cell blocks.
“We are breaking up the cell block to create a proper cell block to hold detainees.”
“I am getting the town authority and engineers to install adequate water in the cell blocks,” Supt Welly said.

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