BAODING, Hebei Province, March 18 (Xinhua) -- An escaped prisoner who used a crane to smash his way out of a north China prison was apprehended on Tuesday after six days on the run, said police.

    Xie Wanli, 28, who broke out of the jail in Baoding city, Hebei Province, was arrested by police in Zhangjiakou city, according to the Baoding Municipal Public Security Bureau.

    Xie escaped on Wednesday night by driving a crane at full speed through three iron gates. He got off the crane after smashing into four cars and two trees, the Beijing News had reported.

    Police did not say how they captured Xie or how he obtained the crane key in the prison.

    Xie was sentenced to 18 years in jail in 2005 for robbery and kidnapping.