Eight policemen and a fisherman are being remanded for four days beginning today to assist in investigations into the case where a drug suspect escaped while being sent to hospital for treatment in Sungai Nibong Besar, Penang yesterday morning.

Penang police chief Chuah Ghee Lye said all the detained policemen, aged 27 to 59 years, were from the Bayan Baru police station centralised lockup, while the 56-year-old fisherman, believed to be a friend of the detainee, had helped him flee the country via sea.

He said according to the police report lodged by the police personnel involved, the suspect, aged 43, escaped while he and two other detainees were in a police van with five policemen, on their way to the Balik Pulau Hospital for treatment.

“Our preliminary investigation found that the policemen had lodged a false police report, apart from the fact that the three prisoners were brought to meet their families instead of the hospital and that they were not handcuffed, while the van that was ferrying them had not broken down at Jalan Paya Terubong as reported,” he told a press conference here today.

He said the investigation also found that the policemen took the three detainees from the lockup at 2am and that the suspect was taken to a condominium in Sungai Ara while the two other detainees, aged 38 and 45 years, held under the Security Offences (Special Preventive Measures) Act 2012, were taken to a homestay in the same area.

On his way back to the lockup, the suspect had requested to meet his friend in Sungai Nibong Besar at about 4am and made his escape during the meeting, he said.

The suspect, arrested in 2015 for trafficking a substantial amount of drugs, had been detained at the Alor Setar prison in Kedah, and was taken to the Bayan Baru centralised lockup on July 6 to attend a trial in a George Town court. 

Chuah said the police had sought help from Interpol to locate the man, while anyone with information on him is urged to contact investigating officer ASP Norhisham Ramli at 019-4715484 or the nearest police station.

- Bernama