A group of men escaped from an immigration removal centre in April 2023, prompting a nationwide manhunt – here’s what happened to the Yarl’s Wood escapees
Rizah Koka was jailed for five years after escaping the detention centre (Image: Beds Police)
In April 2023, a nationwide manhunt was sparked when a large group of men made a daring escape from an immigration removal centre.
Channel 4’s gripping documentary series, 24 Hours in Police Custody, has dedicated an episode to this dramatic event. The episode, titled Breakout, follows the Bedfordshire Police as they attempt to track down the group that absconded from Yarl’s Wood detention centre near Bedford.
Since its debut in September 2014, the series has captivated audiences across the country with its detailed portrayal of investigations led by Bedfordshire Police officers as they tirelessly work to solve distressing 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. The episode focuses on the audacious escape of eight Albanian detainees who were awaiting deportation.
(Left to right) Luftim Hallaci, 21, Arnold Lleshaj, 28, and Ervin Morati, 21, were three of the men who escaped from Yarl’s Wood while awaiting deportation(Image: Bedfordshire Police)READ MORE: What happened to 24 Hours in Police Custody nightclub predator Craig France and where is he now?READ MORE: 24 Hours in Police Custody: What happened to Mohammed Altaher and detective’s message to survivors
The seven-week search for the escapees was described by a police detective as the most significant challenge he has ever faced, reports Wales Online.
Det Ch Supt Will Hodgkinson, who spearheaded Bedfordshire Police’s nationwide manhunt, commented: “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,” he added.
The Channel 4 episode 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.
Bedfordshire Police were forced to track down eight Albanian men who fled Yarl’s Wood Detention Centre (pictured) while awaiting deportation(Image: Leon Neal / Getty Images)
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 dispersed to various parts of the country, necessitating collaboration between Bedfordshire Police and forces 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.
So, what became of the Yarl’s Wood detainees post-arrest?
The eight men who absconded from the immigration removal centre and subsequently went on the run were ultimately incarcerated.
In addition to the eight fugitives, Bedfordshire Police also detained five other men in the vicinity of Yarl’s Wood shortly after the incident.
In total, 13 men were convicted following the police investigation into the breakout, resulting in a combined sentence of over 21 years, inclusive of related drug and fraud offences.
The faces of four of the men who escaped Yarl’s Wood and have been convicted(Image: Beds Police)
Rizah Koka was one of the 13 men who escaped from Yarl’s Wood, seizing the opportunity during a riot to flee through an external door in a sports hall, before breaking 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.
A group of men stormed the double fences of the detention centre(Image: Getty Images)
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 at the time of the escape, was sentenced to 22 months after confessing to violent disorder.
Cash and drugs found at the stash house in North London after Rizah Koka was arrested(Image: Beds Police)
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, located in Milton Ernest, serves as an immigration removal centre where individuals with contested immigration status can be held indefinitely. The facility has been under the management of Serco 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.