South Africa police rearrests 6 escapee prisoners, 14 still at large

Police in South Africa have rearrested six out of twenty prisoners who escaped while they were been transported to a prison facility.

Explaining the circumstances surrounding their escape on Wednesday, a police statement read: “The prisoners escaped after a truck was ambushed at Pat Mbatha Road near South Gate train station by a group of men armed with rifles.

“A truck door lock was broken before the prisoners escaped. They were awaiting trial prisoners charged with various crimes including armed robbery, housebreaking and theft and possession of drugs. Police officers were not injured.”

They subsequently announced that they had launched a manhunt for the escapees and called on the public to volunteer information. The group of twenty (20) awaiting trial prisoners escaped while enroute to a Johannesburg Correctional Service from the Johannesburg Magistrate Court.

“One of the prisoners was already sentenced to 17 years imprisonment after he was convicted for an armed robbery. Several leads are being followed to arrest them,” the statement further confirmed.

South Africa’s crime statistics is one of the highest on the continent. The country has suffered high profile burglaries recently, including a heist by ‘fake police’at one of its biggest airport, the OR Tambo airport – when U.K. bound cash was stolen.

Offices of the police and that of a top judge have also been burgled in what police minister, Fikile Mbalula, described as an ‘insider job.’ People have also been shot and killed with rampant cases of car jacking.