Police: Drunk Detective Opens Jail Cells, Frees Inmates

As a result, 13 criminals are on the loose in Zambia
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 7, 2025 10:06 AM CST
Police: Drunk Detective Opened Jail Cells, Freed Inmates
Stock photo.   (Getty/MikeDot)

Thirteen prisoners are on the run in Zambia after a remarkably easy escape from jail. Police say one of their own—a detective inspector—got drunk on New Year's Eve and opened up their cells, reports CNN. Titus Phiri, "in a state of intoxication, forcibly seized cell keys" from a female constable and set the inmates free from a police station in Kanyama, according to a police statement.

"Phiri unlocked both the male and female cells and instructed the suspects to leave, stating they were free to cross over into the New Year," says the statement. All 13 who took him up on the offer remain at large. They had been jailed on charges including assault and burglary, reports CBS News. Phiri also fled the station, but he was quickly apprehended. (More strange stuff stories.)

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