KEY POINTS:
Police last night recaptured dangerous escaped prisoner Storm Hughes after being alerted to 'suspicious behaviour' in east Auckland.
Hughes was arrested at Bucklands Beach at 10.30pm after a short chase by police who had cordoned off the Oliver Road area. Hughes had evaded a search of the area
by police earlier yesterday.
The 33-year-old is due to appear in Manukau District Court today on a charge of escaping custody and will be remanded to the Huntly District Court on a date to be set.
"Police are grateful to members of the public who called in to report suspicious behaviour", said Inspector David Simpson of the Counties Manukau Police.
"That information and some quick and decisive work by police staff has given us a great result."
Hughes, who has a history of violent offending and is serving time at Springhill prison, fled from a working party on Wednesday.
Earlier hunts
He was tracked to an address in Pukekohe but evaded capture. Early yesterday police received "credible reports" that he was in Buckland's Beach.
However, by the time armed police cordoned the area off and stormed the address, their target was gone.
Witnesses said up to 25 police cars blocked off roads and residents were told that police were looking for an escaped prisoner.
Once the cordons were established, members of Auckland armed offenders squad called out for Hughes to surrender and then stormed the house.
Police are still hunting Lee Bell, who is due to stand trial on numerous drug and firearm charges next month and ran from the High Court on Tuesday after being declined bail.
Detective Sergeant James Watson said police had tracked Bell to several locations, including the casino. They had also seized his car on Thursday night but had been unable to catch the remand prisoner.
Police have captured four other escaped inmates in the past few weeks. One, Arai Whaakari Hema, was caught yesterday. Hema, who had been on the run since fleeing from Auckland's Paremoremo Prison last month, has been described by police as an extremely violent offender and was the subject of an intense manhunt.
Hamilton City area commander Inspector Rob Lindsay said Hema's luck ran out when a police officer saw a suspicious man walking north at the intersection with Victoria St about 12.25am.
Dressed up for a night on the town, Hema claimed to be someone else.
Mr Lindsay commended the staff members involved for removing a man from the streets who posed such a risk to members of the public.
ON THE RUN
Feb 10: Lee Richard Oswald Bell, 41, runs from the High Court after being declined bail.
RECAPTURED
Jan 19: Thomas Te Rangi 19, Darren William Snowden, 22, and Richard Thomas Joseph, 30, break out of a police van taking them to Waikeria Prison.
Jan 21: Paremoremo inmate Arai Whaakari Hema escapes from prison work party. Caught in Hamilton yesterday.
Feb 11: Springhill Correctional Facility inmate Storm Bryce Hughes, 33, escapes from a building restoration work party. Caught in east Auckland last night.
- With NZPA