TRAT: A prisoner facing drug charges jumped from a police vehicle and fled into a roadside forest on Saturday morning while he and another man were being taken to the provincial court for a detention hearing.
Police believe the prisoner might have used the metal pull-tab from a coffee can to unlock his handcuffs before he escaped.
The escape occurred at around 10.30am on Saturday as the police vehicle carrying the two prisoners was entering the compound of the court in tambon Wang Krajae in Muang district.
Pamorn Khampa-in: Still at large
More than 50 police and rescue workers were deployed to search for the escapee. He is still at large.
Police also set up road checkpoints to search all vehicles along possible escape routes and distributed pictures of Pamorn to officials manning border checkpoints.
Pol Col Daret Kanlaya, deputy commander of Trat police, led investigators to inspect the police vehicle and the scene of the escape.
An initial investigation found that Pol Capt Thanaphan Taemsara, attached to Bo Rai police station, drove the vehicle to take the two prisoners to court. He was alone in the cab up front, and there was no other officer sitting in the back of the vehicle with the two prisoners.
Pol Capt Thanaphan said he had handcuffed the two suspects before beginning the journey to the court. As he approached the court gate, Pamorn suddenly jumped from the vehicle through the window.
Investigators found an opened coffee can with a missing pull-tab and the prisoner's handcuffs. They believe Pamorn might have used the tab to unlock the handcuffs during the 60-kilometre journey which took more than one hour from the police station to the court.
As well, the window was not fitted with steel bars, they noted.
A relative had brought the canned coffee to Pamorn at the Bo Rai police station during a visit on Friday.
Rescue volunteers and police search for the prisoner after his escape on Saturday morning. (Photo by Jakkrit Waewkraihong)