Search for Langi Kal Kal Prison escapee Daniel Briffa continues in regional Victoria
/ By Rochelle KirkhamPolice are continuing to search for a prison escapee who has been on the run for almost three weeks.
Key points:
Daniel Briffa, 50, escaped Langi Kal Kal prison on the evening of September 4
He was last seen at a service station in Ballarat on September 6
Police are appealing for pubic assistance to locate him
Daniel Briffa, 50, was serving a prison term for drug, theft and traffic-related offences when he escaped from Langi Kal Kal Prison in Trawalla, north west of Ballarat, on the evening of Monday, September 4.
The ABC understands it is not yet known how he escaped from the minimum security prison.
Briffa was last seen at a service station in Ballarat on September 6.
Acting Superintendent Dan Ryan said police were searching the Ballarat area, as well as Werribee, Hoppers Crossing and Tarneit, where Briffa had previously spent time.
"We cannot discount the fact he may have travelled interstate, but he is not using any of the usual methods that would allow us to locate him," he said.
"There is the possibility that he may be rough camping in Werribee or Ballarat. So that is something we continue to explore to try to locate him."
Briffa is approximately 170 centimetres tall, of solid build and has short brown curly hair, a full beard and moustache, and tattoos on his lower legs.
Appeal for assistance
Acting Superintendent Ryan said he was concerned about the length of time Briffa had been able to evade detection.
"The longer he spends out of custody, the more likely it is he will commit further offences … in relation to food, shelter and things like that," he said.
"So we are certainly concerned about him and we are putting all resources into locating him and getting him back into custody as soon as possible.
"If someone knows that police are after them, they will use all means they can to avoid detection."
Victoria Police has released images of Briffa and continues to appeal for public assistance.
Police urged anyone who saw Briffa not to approach him and to call triple-0 immediately.
"There will be potentially friends or associates out there who have come into contact with him or received a call from him," Acting Superintendent Ryan said.
"We would be most interested to hear from those people."
Members of the public were asked to call Crimestoppers if they saw someone matching Briffa's description.
Victoria Police's fugitive squad is leading the investigation, in collaboration with local police.
Method of escape unclear
The ABC asked the Department of Justice and Community Safety for information about investigations into how Briffa escaped from prison, but these questions were not answered.
It is understood Corrections Victoria is reviewing the circumstances of the escape and his placement at the prison.
Langi Kal Kal has operated as an adult prison for 30 years, accommodating sentenced protection prisoners.
It hosts "cottage style" shared accommodation, with capacity for almost 430 people.
Corrections Victoria's website described the facility as a 1,000-hectare working farm, with a focus on preparing prisoners for life in the community.
The website said all prisoners aged under 65 were expected to work full-time if they were able.