Papua New Guinea's 'most wanted' caught

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Papua New Guinea's most-wanted criminal, notorious bank robber William Kapris, has been captured in the capital Port Moresby after a prison escape last month.

Kapris was one of 12 of the country's toughest prisoners who easily escaped from the city's Bomana jail on January 12 after one warder was taken hostage and a woman posing as a lawyer pulled a gun on guards.

A nationwide manhunt was launched, while Prime Minister Michael Somare stripped Correctional Services Minister Tony Aimo of his portfolio and sacked Prison Commissioner Richard Sikani as a result of the mass breakout.

Kapris was caught in a cheap Port Moresby hotel on Saturday afternoon after police captured another prisoner at a nearby market, according to PNG's Post Courier newspaper.

Police Commissioner Gari Baki said Kapris was taken back to Bomana prison after a lengthy interrogation.

"Kapris was captured following meticulous and dedicated police work, acting upon information supplied by (a) responsible member of the public," he said.

Police have arrested and charged eight people, including four prison guards, for assisting in last month's jail escape.

Kapris is accused of a string of high-profile bank robberies, rape, a plane hijacking and the alleged murder of a police officer.

Before his capture in 2008, he had been on the run for eight years after escaping police detention while recovering from gunshot wounds in Port Moresby General Hospital.

PNG has been plagued by mass prison breakouts due to lax security, corruption, underfunding, a lack of political will and pay disputes involving warders.

- AAP