A Chinese national on death row in Indonesia has successfully escaped from prison via a tunnel that he had dug into the sewage system, both The Jakarta Post and Reuters reported.

The escape took place on Sep. 14, at about 2.30am, in the Tangerang Penitentiary on the outskirts of Jakarta.

Cai Changpan, 37, who had been convicted of methamphetamine trafficking in 2017, had reportedly dug a hole from his cell, using tools from a construction project in the prison's kitchen.

Indonesian media Detik reported that this included screwdrivers and iron tools.

About five to six months were spent planning the escape

A spokesperson for the police, quoted by Reuters, said Cai had spent about five to six months planning for the escape.

In addition, his escape had been timed to coincide with the changing of the guards.

Detik further reported that Cai's activities in the cell were not recorded on CCTV as it did not reach into the room.

Not the first time Cai has escaped

This was not the first time that Cai had escaped.

Reuters reported that Cai had previously escaped from a police detention centre in Jakarta by breaking a hole in the wall of a bathroom.

The Directorate General of Indonesia's Law and Human Rights Ministry's Corrections department has since taken over the case and opened an investigation into the matter, The Jakarta Post reported.

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Top photo by Chris Gray via Flickr