A man has escaped a French jail by concealing himself in the bag of another prisoner who was exiting prison having completed their sentence, officials informed local media.
The prison service has opened an investigation after the man broke out of Lyon-Corbas prison in south-east France on Friday, broadcaster BFMTV reported. He “exploited the freedom of his fellow prisoner to conceal himself in his suitcases and escape”, the prison service stated in a report to AFP news agency.
French media reports that the fugitive prisoner was serving several sentences and was also investigated in a case involving organised crime. A judicial inquiry has also been launched into potential “escape as part of an organised gang and criminal conspiracy”, local media reported.
In May last year, the Lyon Bar Association sounded the alarm over overcrowding at the Lyon-Corbas prison. As of 1 May 2025, approximately 1,200 individuals were being held in the prison, which has room for 678 spaces, BFMTV had reported.
