The Vanuatu government is giving escaped prisoners a few more days to surrender voluntarily or face the full force of the law.
Prime minister Sato Kilman has told a high level national security meeting in Port Vila that if they don't surrender the police and Vanuatu Mobile Force would seek legal measures including the right to use guns to hunt them down.
An unspecified number of high risk prisoners are reportedly on the run while police say there has been an increased number of thefts in the last two months.
In one theft a break in at the Vanuatu Post Office netted more than 32 thousand US dollars.
Mr Minister Kilman called the urgent meeting to be assured about security preparations for the ACP Conference that is being held in Port Vila next month.
