Released Prisoner and Sex Offender Tracked Down and Arrested
Brahim Kaddour Cherif, a prisoner accidentally released from HMP Wandsworth, has been located and arrested after a public tip-off. The mistake triggered an extensive manhunt across London.
The Accidental Release
The Metropolitan Police reported that the 24-year-old was mistakenly freed on Tuesday. Cherif, an Algerian national, had been convicted in November 2024 for indecent exposure following a March incident that year. He received an 18-month community order and was placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for five years.
Police Operation
Authorities said Cherif was known to have connections in Tower Hamlets and was often seen in the Westminster area. Police units were deployed immediately after his mistaken release.
“At 11.23 am on Friday, 7 November, a call was received from a member of the public reporting a sighting of a man believed to be Brahim Kaddour-Cherif near Capital City College on Blackstock Road in Islington. Officers responded immediately and at 11.30 am detained a man matching Cherif's description. His identity was confirmed and he was arrested for being unlawfully at large.”
Police also confirmed that Cherif was arrested on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker in connection with a separate incident. The Prison Service has been notified of his re-arrest.
Author’s Summary
A mistakenly freed offender was swiftly recaptured after public assistance and police coordination brought an end to a major search across London.