Timor-Leste: Move To Apprehend Prison Escapees

Timor-Leste: UN Police, International Security Forces Move To Apprehend Prison Escapees

United Nations Police and international security forces in Timor-Leste today mounted a widespread search for the dozens of prisoners who have escaped from Becora Prison, just east of the capital, Dili.

They are seeking to apprehend the escaped prisoners through intensified operations throughout Dili and the surrounding areas, UN Acting Police Commissioner Antero Lopes said.

Mr. Lopes strongly urged the population to contact the UN Police or the international security forces should they have any information about the escaped prisoners. The group includes Major Alfredo Reinado, the leader of an armed group that demanded the resignation of the Prime Minister during the recent unrest in Timor-Leste.

Violence earlier this year in the country, which the UN helped guide to independence from Indonesia in 2002, left dozens dead and forced some 155,000 people to flee their homes. The clashes erupted when the Government dismissed about 600 soldiers who had gone on strike.

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