Peruvian who escaped jail swapping places with his twin brother re-arrested

LIMA: A prisoner who staged a daring escape from a Peruvian jail by swapping places with his twin brother has been recaptured, police said.

The head of Lima’s kidnap investigation unit, Franco Moreno, told AFP police had captured the prisoner at a house in the capital’s Callao district after a year on the run.

He said 28-year-old Alexander Delgado was arrested on Monday after an intelligence operation lasting several months.

Delgado, who was serving a 16-year-sentence for rape and robbery, walked out of Peru’s maximum security Ancon 1 prison in January last year after drugging his visiting twin brother and taking his clothes and identification papers.

His twin, Giancarlo, was originally suspected of aiding the escape but was released.

Moreno said the captured Delgado was subjected to a strict identification process to avoid further confusion.

“We hope now that they put him in a maximum security cell because of the events that have taken place,” Moreno added.