Prison escapee Daniel Briffa has been arrested following a 45-day manhunt.
Detectives from Victoria Police’s fugitive squad arrested the 50-year-old without incident at a residential home in Ballarat East at about 10.30am on Thursday.
Briffa, who is serving a prison sentence for theft, drug, and traffic-related offences, has been charged with escape and will face Ballarat Magistrates’ Court on Thursday afternoon.
This follows a “significant search” for the prisoner after he allegedly left the Langi Kal Kal Correctional Centre on the night of September 4.
It’s still unknown how he escaped the minimum-security facility.
In a statement, Victoria Police thanked members of the public and media for their assistance in locating Briffa.
In the days after Briffa’s escape, police shared footage of the man visiting a convenience store in Alfredton, a suburb in the city of Ballarat.
At the time, police believed the inmate to be violent and advised the public not to approach him if sighted.