Papua New Guinea police say 15 PNG citizens are still on the run after escaping from an Indonesian prison more than a week ago.
Photo: Flickr / David Zoppo
They were serving sentences for drug-related offences and are among a group of 31 prisoners who escaped Doyo Prison in Sentani in Indonesia's Papua province.
The prisoners are reported to have escaped by sawing through the iron bars of a window.
According to the newspaper The National, the prisoners, including two women, are mostly from PNG's provinces of East and West Sepik
West Sepik's Police Commander, Moses Ibsagi, said the escapees were believed to be travelling towards the border.
However, he said to reach the border from the prison required traversing 120 kilometres of thick jungle, mountainous and swampy terrains, and the major Tami River.
Chief Inspector Ibsagi said police were on the lookout for the escapees at the main entry points along the border.
He said Indonesian officials had advised PNG police to detain the prisoners if they came across the border, and send them back for punishment.
Mr Ibsagi said there were 26 PNG citizens in total at Doyo Prison.