Channel 4’s 24 Hours in Police Custody follows the escape of eight Albanian detainees from Yarl’s Wood immigration centre near Bedford
In April 2023, a brazen escape from an immigration removal centre sparked a nationwide manhunt.
Channel 4’s episode of 24 Hours in Police Custody, titled Breakout, documents the efforts of officers to track down the group that absconded from Yarl’s Wood detention centre near Bedford.
Since its debut in September 2014, the documentary series has captivated viewers nationwide, showcasing the tireless work of Bedfordshire Police officers as they investigate serious crimes.
Breakout, set to air on Sunday (December 14), delves into the intricate police investigation at Yarl’s Wood Immigration Detention Centre in Milton Ernest, near Bedford, following the audacious escape of eight Albanian detainees awaiting deportation.
A police detective characterised the seven-week hunt for the escapees as the most significant challenge he has faced, reports Wales Online.
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Det Ch Supt Will Hodgkinson, who spearheaded Bedfordshire Police’s nationwide search, stated: “I’ve never known [a search] on this scale against eight individuals.
“Of all the individuals involved, I don’t think anyone has encountered a challenge quite as large as this. While we do this on a daily basis, we tend not to do it on this scale and this intensity,” the detective further commented.
The Channel 4 programme begins with CCTV footage showing a group of 13 men making their escape from the detention centre during a mass disorder, using gym equipment to scale the site’s fence.
Five of the escapees were apprehended on the same night, while the remaining eight managed to evade the police for weeks after splitting into smaller groups.
Some of the men eventually surrendered themselves, but others scattered across the country, necessitating Bedfordshire Police to join forces with their counterparts in West Yorkshire, the West Midlands, and London.
Mr Hodgkinson specifically commended the Metropolitan Police, who provided support during the same weekend as the King’s coronation.
What became of the Yarl’s Wood detainees post-arrest?
The eight men who absconded from an immigration removal centre before going on the run were ultimately incarcerated.
In addition to the eight escapees, Bedfordshire Police also arrested five other men near Yarl’s Wood shortly after the incident.
In total, 13 men were convicted following the police investigation into the breakout, receiving a combined sentence of over 21 years, including linked drug and fraud offences.
Rizah Koka was one of the 13 men who broke out of Yarl’s Wood, seizing the opportunity during a riot to bolt through an external door in a sports hall, smashing through three fences and scattering across the UK, as reported by Bedfordshire Police in 2024.
Koka and another individual, Mexhit Palushi, were apprehended by Bedfordshire Police and the Met Police outside a coffee shop in Colindale on 4 May 2023.
They were found with a set of keys that led police to an address housing £50,000 worth of cocaine, £63,000 worth of cannabis, and £70,000 in cash.
As officers were conducting a search of the flat, Samuel Boka arrived and was subsequently arrested for his involvement in the drug operation.
In December 2023, the trio were sentenced to over 14 years in total at Luton Crown Court.
All three men admitted to being involved in the supply of cannabis and cocaine, as well as possession of criminal property.
Palushi received a sentence of five years and three months, Koka was handed a five-year sentence, which included a six-month term for escaping lawful custody, and Boka was imprisoned for four years.
Another man, who was 26 years old at the time of the escape, was sentenced to 22 months after confessing to violent disorder.
Detective Chief Inspector Matt Inwood from Bedfordshire Police CID, who spearheaded the investigation, commented at the time of sentencing: “This was a dangerous and brazen escape attempt by men who were awaiting deportation.
“Thousands of hours have been spent by our Bedfordshire officers and staff, as well as law enforcement colleagues across the country, in order to apprehend those who escaped. This behaviour was completely unacceptable and a flagrant breach of the law.”
Yarl’s Wood, situated in Milton Ernest, serves as an immigration removal centre where individuals with contested immigration status can be held indefinitely. The facility has been under Serco’s management since 2007.
24 Hours in Police Custody: Breakout originally aired on Channel 4 in January 2024 and is being rebroadcast on Sunday, December 14 at 9pm on Channel 4.
