To prevent the taking of aerial photos and to combat the smuggling of drugs and weapons, the airspace above the Extra Secure Institution (EBI) in Vught will be closed from July. It is the umpteenth measure taken by the municipality and the judiciary since Ridouan Taghi has been imprisoned there. The top criminal is said to be working on various escape scenarios.
At the end of 2019, Taghi was arrested in Dubai and deported to the Netherlands. He immediately moved to the EBI in Vught. Since then, the prison has been on a high alert. An overview.
In June 2020, Mayor Roderick Van de Mortel designated the area around the prison as a ‘Security Risk Area’. He did this on the advice of the police, the Public Prosecution Service and the PI Vught, of which the EBI is a part.
Anyone who comes near the prison may be searched with the permission of the public prosecutor. So also cyclists and walkers who come for the nearby National Monument. The measure would initially apply for one year, but has been extended each time.
Heavy criminals
The most serious criminals in our country are in the Extra Secure Institution. Ridouan Taghi is one of the most famous prisoners. But tough guys like Said Razzouki (the alleged right-hand man of Taghi) and Richard R., known as Rico de Chileen, are also trapped there. No one managed to escape and the authorities would like to keep it that way.
The regime in the EBI is very strict. It is a heavily guarded prison within a prison (PI Vught). The EBI consists of four departments, each with six cells. In total, therefore, there are 24 cells, 18 of which are intended for prisoners held under the EBI regime, the strictest regime.
No more laptops
In October 2021, the strings are still a bit tight. Lawyers for the prisoners are no longer allowed to bring in laptops or tablets. This was not formally allowed, but it was tolerated by the management.
A reason for the adjustment was not stated. But the arrest of Youssef Taghi, the nephew and lawyer of criminal Ridouan Taghi, seemed to be the reason for this decision by the management.
As a lawyer for the main suspect in the Marengo trial, Youssef Taghi regularly visited his cousin at the EBI. He is suspected of having been Taghi’s messenger to the outside world. The top criminal is also said to have prepared an outbreak from prison in Vught during his cousin’s visits.
Plea for extra-secure court
Mayor Van de Mortel is very concerned about the risk of a possible escape from the EBI. He shares his concerns in July 2021. The mayor is arguing for an extra-security court in the prison. That saves risky transports with detainees. “The transport now leads to an escape risk. The rides always go through the busy traffic in Vught. Along schools and sports clubs. About the N65, which will soon, temporarily, become a single-lane road. A secured court in Vught prevents that.”
In a letter to Sander Dekker, then Minister of Justice and Security, Van de Mortel asks that this be arranged, but something like this can take years. Dekker will therefore come up with a different proposal in November 2021. It concerns a plan for a digital prison. Serious criminals can then participate in lawsuits via a video link. Less dangerous suspects will be taken to the PI Vught from 2023 via a new route. The construction of this road is the responsibility of the ministry.
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