Following the escape of over 150 inmates in Kidapawan City in southern Philippines last week, we decided to take a look around the region for more jailbreaks and prison raids. Sadly – or rather – luckily for us, there weren’t many prison breaks on such a large scale in Malaysia. Typing in “prison break Malaysia” only resulted in mentions of the excellent TV show Prison Break starring the ever role-reversing bald Scofield brothers. We tried “jailbreak Malaysia” as a second option and instead got recommendations for many, many iPhone jailbreaking services and PS3 jailbreaking services. We then cast our nets further into the web instead and found enough material for this listicle. By the way, yes, our cover photo is from the excellent martial arts movie The Raid 2.

#1 The Kinky Brazilian Extraction

Two women dressed in sexy police officer costumes showed up at a prison in Brazil’s interior Mato Grosso state in February 2015. Taken in by the display, the guards on duty at the time let the women in. The women convinced the guards to bring them to their sleeping quarters for a 'mass orgy'. The guards were later drugged, stripped, and handcuffed as the women proceeded to unlock every cell door in the prison. 26 escapees fled through the main door, taking with them a total of three rifles, two revolvers, and ammunition from the storage room. Talk about jailbait.

#2 The Sarposa Prison Deficiency

Sarposa prison is located in Kandahar, Afghanistan, and is the stage for two major escapes. One involving a coordinated attack in 2008 and a tunneling escape in 2011 resulting in the escape of 1,200 and 500 inmates respectively. The first incident involved a raid on the prison by Taliban insurgents, who attacked the facility with explosives and gunfire. Almost all of the prisoners managed to escape. The second escape involved a 350m tunnel that had been dug across a highway and under prison walls. 500 Taliban inmates escaped. The tunnel took several months to build and employed sophisticated techniques involving electricity, ventilation, and possible assistance from engineers. The tunnel looked like a massive undertaking that couldn’t have been orchestrated by prisoners alone and the prison officials were later investigated. Talk about tunnel vision.

#3 The Libyan Liberation

Following a mass protest by citizens of Benghazi in 2013, 1,200 inmates from the al-Kwyfah facility were set free. It was reported that the residents living next to the prison stormed the facility because they didn’t want a prison in their neighborhood. It was not clear if the protest was planned to aide the breakout, but there you go. Talk about a riot.

#4 The Haitian Prison Bath Time Breakout

174 prisoners overpowered guards and escaped with weapons and ammunition in 2016. One guard was killed during the escape along with one inmate who died trying to escape. Gunfire was exchanged between the police and the rampaging inmates who broke into an area used by the guards. The situation was worsened by the fact that prisoners at that facility wore plainclothes, making it hard to identify them. Confoundingly, the prisoners discarded their sandals on the ground during the escape. The inmates reportedly attacked the guards after they were released from their cells to bathe. Talk about making a splash.

#5 The Tanjung Gusta Blackout Bust

In 2013, 200 prisoners escaped from a prison in Medan, Indonesia, after a protest over the lack of water and electricity. The prisoners rioted and some set offices on fire. 15 officers were held captive inside the prison and some others died after being trapped in the offices burned by prisoners. Even after the inferno and escapes, some 500 inmates remaining in the compound continued their riot, refusing to back down. Talk about a fiery temper.

Sources: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5