KEY POINTS:
North Shore police are looking for a low security inmate who escaped while working outside the fence at Auckland Prison at Paremoremo today.
Police began searching for 30-year-old Arai Whakaari Hema this afternoon after it was discovered he went missing from an outside work party.
Waitemata police communications manager Kevin Loughlin said a police dog unit tracked Hema to a nearby road where it appeared he could have been picked up by a waiting vehicle.
Anyone seeing Hema should not to approach him, but call police immediately.
Mr Loughlin described Hema as Maori, with short black hair, 175cm tall, of a medium build and with olive complexion,
He was wearing work boots, denim shorts, a high visibility yellow jacket with no sleeves.
- NZPA
