Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Search underway in Fiji for five prison escapees

Posted at 07:26 on 18 September, 2012 UTC

Police and corrections officers in Fiji are searching for five inmates who escaped from the medium security Naboro prison last night.

The five men aged from 25 to thirty are serving sentences for offences ranging from aggravated robbery to murder.

One is serving a life sentence for murder.

Fiji Broadcasting reports the inmates are believed to have been involved in a spate of robberies early this morning.

Media report police officers on leave have been called back to help in the search and roadblocks were set up in the capital Suva.

The police have warned the public of the two year prison term or high fine people could face for harbouring escapees.