According to a cellmate, Cai had planned the escape, which took place on September 14, for five to six months using tools from a construction project in the prison kitchen, Yunus said.
Rika Aprianti, spokesperson for the Indonesian General Directorate of Prisons, told media that the trafficker, who also uses the name Cai Ji Fan, timed his escape for the changing of the guards.
According to Indonesian news site detik.com, he was sentenced to death in 2017 for trafficking 135 kg of crystal meth. A police investigation revealed 70 kg of methamphetamine hidden in chicken coop cleaning equipment.
Cai had previously escaped from a Jakarta police detention center in 2017 by smashing a hole in a bathroom wall.
No lawyer or representative for Cai was immediately available for comment.
The police put him on their most wanted list.
