The PI in Vught was surrounded by a large number of officers for a while on Monday evening. The cause of this was several suspicious drones above the prison. Initially, according to the police, there were rumors about a possible escape attempt, but according to a spokesperson, that was not the case.
The police were stationed in various places around the complex. About nine police cars are said to be involved. Not only the regional unit was present, the national police were also on site. The officers wore bulletproof vests. A police helicopter also flew over the area.
After about an hour and a half, the police left because the drones were no longer seen. The Officer on Duty (OvD) confirms that the police themselves saw ‘several drones’ flying. It is still unclear exactly how many there are.
“We always assume the worst in a case like this. Especially around the PI,” says the Public Prosecutor. “This is a no-fly zone, so the airspace above the PI is continuously monitored nationally. The security of the PI itself is still in place, so if anything is seen again, we may scale up again. But we cannot stand continuously.”
No fly zone
The airspace above the PI Vught has been closed since 2020 and is currently a so-called ‘no-fly zone’. This means that absolutely nothing is allowed to fly near the prison. The flight ban was extended in October until 2025.
The municipality then announced that the ban is a ‘strong, drastic measure’, but it would still be necessary for the safety of residents, employees and visitors to the area. The fact that the ban was violated on Monday evening is therefore reason for the police to immediately take a major action.
The Vught PI also includes the Extra Secure Facility (EBI). It contains the most dangerous prisoners in our country, such as Willem Holleeder. At the end of 2019, Ridouan Taghi was also added. Taghi was sentenced to life imprisonment for several murders surrounding the Marengo trial. At the time, a special department was built in the EBI for Taghi. At first he was in a ward with six cells, but now he is in a ward all alone.