KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 29 ― The two men who fled custody two years ago by blinding the police with curry powder have each been jailed a total of seven years and eight months for escaping arrest and gang robbery.

According to The Star today, Hamzani Harun, 38, and Hissham Abdul Rahman, 40, were both given 20-month sentences each for fleeing the cops in 2013, and six years for robbing a video game store in 2012.

They were also each sentenced to two strokes of the rotan for the robbery in Penang.

Magistrate Muhammad Firdaus Abdul Wahab who meted out the men's sentences for escaping arrest, said the duo should serve out their 20-month jail terms after they complete their sentences for gang robbery, which was imposed by the Sessions Court.

The Star reported that both men had pleaded guilty to escaping the police at the Butterworth Outer Ring Road on January 7, 2013, while they were being transported to the court there along with seven other accused.

During the 9.45am incident, the two men reportedly blinded their escorting police with curry powder, beat them up and pushed them out of the van.

All nine suspects then took off with the van and later abandoned it at Kampung Padang Chempedak, Tasek Gelugor where two of the escapees were re-arrested.

The Star reported that Hamzani and Hissham both claimed trial to a charge of causing injuries to policemen Mohd Azizan Ahmad, T.K. Mahendren, Muhammad Sharifuddin Ali and Mohd Nazzwuan Md Zain during the escape.

The magistrate fixed trial for March 26.

Hamzani and Hissham were picked up separately last week by Kedah police, after two years in hiding.

According to North Seberang Perai district police chief ACP Abdul Rahman Ibrahim, Hamzani was caught while he was harvesting ketum leaves in a rubber plantation in Kampung Akar Batu, while Hissham was arrested at a vacant house 10km away in Kampung Bukit Wang, both in Kedah.