Death row Chinese drug dealer apparently committed suicide after escaping Indonesia jail

Up to 291 personnel were deployed to hunt for him.

Matthias Ang | October 20, 2020, 05:23 PM

A Chinese drug dealer who was on death row and escaped from prison by digging a hole in the sewage system has been found dead.

Death ruled as suicide

According to the Jakarta Post and CNN Indonesia, his body was discovered hanging in a tire factory in Bogor, West Java, on Oct. 17.

A spokesperson for the Jakarta police stated that his death has been ruled as a suicide.

A security officer who worked at the factory in Jasinga district reportedly found the fugitive's body in the morning.

The officer also alleged that Cai had threatened him to remain silent about his location and often spent many nights at the factory.

However, CNA reported that the fugitive's body was found hanging in a hut in a forest instead.

The police chief was further quoted as stating that the cause of Cai's death was "blunt force on the neck". which obstructed his airway and resulted in suffocation.

He also tested negative for drugs and alcohol.

Two prison officers suspected to have assisted Cai's escape for a reward of S$9.25

Meanwhile, CNN Indonesia reported that a total of 291 personnel had been deployed to hunt for Cai since he first escaped from Tangerang Penitentiary on the outskirts of Jakarta on Sep. 14.

The Jakarta Post revealed that Cai had a family in Cilaku Agency in Bogor, whom he returned to after his escape, and that they reportedly owned a tire recycling business.

Two prison officers at Tangerang Penitentiary have also been suspended on the suspicion that they assisted Cai in his escape by buying him a water pump in return for a reward of 100,000 rupiah (S$9.25).

How did Cai escape?

Cai had been convicted of methamphetamine trafficking in 2017.

He reportedly escaped by digging a hole from his cell, using tools from a construction project in the prison's kitchen.

The escape had been planned for about five to six months and had been timed to coincide with the changing of the guards.

His activities in his cell were not recorded on CCTV as it did not reach into the room.

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Top image collage left image by Chris Grya via Flickr, right image from Ministry of Law