A foreign national who was accidentally released from a London prison has been apprehended by police, bringing a multi-day manhunt to a close.
Public Sighting Leads to Arrest
Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, a 24-year-old Algerian national, was arrested in the Islington area of north London on Friday morning. The Metropolitan Police confirmed that the arrest took place just before 11:30am after a vigilant member of the public spotted him and alerted authorities.
Officers from the Met responded immediately to the sighting and took Kaddour-Cherif into custody. The force announced the successful conclusion of the search on the social media platform X, stating, "Officers responded immediately and he was arrested."
A Week-Long Manhunt After Prison Error
The sequence of events that led to the manhunt began on October 29, when Kaddour-Cherif was mistakenly freed from HMP Wandsworth. In a significant procedural failure, the Metropolitan Police were not informed about the erroneous release until Tuesday, November 4, prompting the launch of a public search.
Kaddour-Cherif was serving a sentence for trespass with intent to steal. It has also been revealed that he has a previous conviction for indecent exposure.
Second Inmate Also Mistakenly Freed
This incident marks the second such error from HMP Wandsworth within a short period. Billy Smith, 35, was also accidentally released from the same prison on Monday, November 3.
Unlike Kaddour-Cherif, Smith subsequently handed himself back into custody. The two separate mistaken releases have raised serious questions about security and release procedures at the south London prison.
The arrest of Brahim Kaddour-Cherif concludes a concerning chapter for the prison service and the Metropolitan Police, though it is likely to prompt an internal investigation into how such a release could occur.
