A “very dangerous” British prisoner is among five inmates who have escaped from a high-security prison in Portugal.
Mark Cameron Roscaleer, 39, had been serving a nine-year sentence for kidnap and robbery at the Vale de Judeus jail, about 43 miles (70km) north of Lisbon.
The five men, aged between 33 and 61, fled on Saturday morning and received “external help” from accomplices who provided a ladder which “allowed the inmates to scale the wall”, according to the Portuguese prison service (DGRSP).
Pic: DGRSP
Pic: DGRSP
Frederico Morais, president of the National Union of Prison Guards (SNCGP), described Roscaleer as “very dangerous” and advised people that if they see him or the other inmates, they should not approach them.
He also provided details about the escape: “They managed to jump a net because there are no guards to watch the perimeter… put the ladder against the wall and, from there, with a handmade rope, they climbed over the wall”.
Top (L-R): Fernando Ferreira, Fabio Loureiro, Shergili Farjiani; Bottom: Mark Roscaleer, Rodolfo Lohrmann
The four other fugitives are:
• Fernando Ferreira, 61, Portuguese, serving 25 years for drug trafficking, theft, robbery, and kidnapping
• Fabio Loureiro, 33, Portuguese, jailed for 25 years for extortion, theft, and money laundering
• Rodolf Lohrmann, 59, Argentinian, sentenced to 18 years and 10 months for theft, robbery, and money laundering
• Shergili Farjiani, 42, originally from Georgia, given a seven-year term for violent crimes theft and forgery
Fugitives ‘very dangerous’
According to Portuguese newspaper Jornal de Noticias, the group had the help of three accomplices outside the jail and fled the scene in two cars, a Mercedes and a Volvo.
Luis Neves, national director of the Judicial Police, told the paper that, with the exception of Shergili Farjiani, all the prisoners were “very dangerous” and their escape was “very well prepared”.
He also told a news conference on Sunday they have “already tried to escape from prison several times” and will do “anything to remain free”, warning: “When I say everything, I mean everything, including the fact that human life may be at stake here.”
Vale de Judeus jail is a high-security prison about 43 miles (70km) north of Lisbon. Pic via Enex
Pic via Enex
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Herminio Barradas, president of the Association of Chiefs of the Prison Guards Corps (ASCCGP), described the group as “well equipped” and “determined” but blamed weaknesses in security.
He said: “There have been no watchtowers for nine years. The cameras filmed everything, but there was no ability to react because of the lack of prison guards.”
According to both the ASCCGP and SNCGP prison unions, there were 20 guards on duty – half of what would normally be expected – to oversee more than 500 inmates.
Rui Abrunhosa, director-general of Portugal’s reintegration and prison services, disputed this, claiming there were 33 members of staff on duty – and that guards only noticed the escape when prisoners were due to return to their cells – causing a delay in alerting external authorities.
The Portuguese prison service said in a statement that an internal investigation had been launched.