Police have detected one of the seven criminals who escaped from police detention on Monday in Kampung Tun Sardon, here, today.

Penang deputy police chief, Datuk Abdul Rahim Jaafar said the man was hiding in a vacant house near an oil palm plantation in the village.

He said based on public information, police raided the house at 5.30pm and saw the man believed to be one of the hunted detainees but he managed to get away.

"Police pursued but failed. The man, wearing only a pair of trousers escaped into the oil palm plantation heading towards Kulim Kedah," he said when contacted by Bernama, here, today.

He said police had launched a manhunt for the man in the area up to the Kedah border and six more accomplices were believed to be still in the plantation.

"We are thankful to the people for the information and police are tracking down the escapees. I believe with the assistance of the people, we will be able to nab the seven detainees faster," he said.

In the 9am incident on Monday, nine detainees who were on their way from Penang Prison to a court in Butterworth escaped by seizing the police van they were in after assaulting and throwing out four police escorts.

Two of them were recaptured near the police van abandoned in Kampung Padang Chempedak, Tasek Gelugor while seven others were believed to have fled to an oil palm plantation in Ara Kuda.