Villepinte: The incredible escape of a repeat offender thanks to fake police officers

He is nicknamed "Ganito". Ilyas Kherbouch, an inmate with a long criminal record, escaped this weekend from the Villepinte prison (Seine-Saint-Denis), following an "unprecedented" scheme, a prison source told BFMTV, confirming information from Le Parisien.

The events took place on the afternoon of Saturday, March 7, when two men posing as police officers arrived at the Villepinte prison with forged documents, claiming to be there for the judicial transfer of Ilyas. Kherbouch, according to a source close to the investigation. The papers in their possession closely resembled official documents.

This incredible escape was only discovered on Monday by prison staff.

The inmate is actively being sought

"Instructions were immediately given to all prison directors to make their prison registry aware of this unprecedented modus operandi, and to ensure that systematic checks are carried out with the registry of the issuing judicial authority before any release," a prison source told BFMTV.

The Paris prosecutor's office announced that it is opening an investigation for "organized escape" by the JIRS (Specialized Interregional Jurisdiction). According to information from BFMTV, the prison administration has also launched an internal investigation to determine the circumstances of this escape. The General Inspectorate of Justice (IGJ) has also been tasked with investigating by the Minister of Justice, Gérald Darmanin.

Barely an adult, Ilyas Kherbouch is notably implicated in the burglary and kidnapping of former PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. Detained since 2022, he was most recently incarcerated at the Villepinte prison.

When contacted, "Ganito's" lawyer, May Sarah Vogelhut, declined to comment on his escape. Ilyas Kherbouch and his alleged accomplices are actively being sought by the authorities.