Two Korean nationals vanish from custody

They scaled down a multi-storeyed apartment to make good their escape

November 29, 2021 01:21 am | Updated 01:21 am IST - CHENNAI

In filmy style, two Korean nationals allegedly escaped from police custody in Chengalpattu district last month.

The suspects arrested in a GST evasion case were under detention in a private accommodation where they climbed down from the 8th floor to the 6th floor and made good their escape, police sources said.

The Tamil Nadu police have launched an investigation as to how the suspects managed to escape and reach Imphal in Manipur. Investigators suspect that the duo would have crossed the international border in an attempt to reach South Korea.

The suspects, whose names were given as Choe Jae Won and Choi Yung Suk, were arrested in 2019 in connection with the tax evasion to the tune of a few crores of rupees and lodged in the Special Camp in Tiruchi.

Their plea for detention in a private accommodation was dismissed by the Madras High Court. However, the Supreme Court allowed their plea and directed the Tamil Nadu police to take appropriate steps, the sources said. The suspects moved into a flat of their choice on the 8th floor in a multi-storeyed apartment in Orgadam, Chengalpattu district.

A police guard was deployed on the floor round-the-clock restricting their movement.

After specific intelligence that the suspects were planning to escape, the Chengalpattu police intensified surveillance on the duo. But on the night of October 29, 2021, they climbed down from the 8th floor to the 6th floor. How they managed to move into the flat and then walk away is under investigation. Police were perusing the CCTV footage in the area and roads leading to the apartment. Investigators suspect that they travelled to Hyderabad by road and then took a flight from there to Imphal on October 30.

“It is possible that they would have crossed the Indian border to a neighbouring country. They had local support to arrange their travel. It is also possible that they would have procured fake documents to facilitate their crossing the international borders,” a senior police officer told The Hindu on Sunday.

Police sources said efforts were on through diplomatic channels to check whether the suspects had landed in South Korea.

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