Hostage-Taker Arrested in Security Operation at French Prison

An inmate who took two people hostage at a prison in northwestern France was arrested and both hostages were released after intervention by security forces, local media reported.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The prisoner took another inmate and a guard hostage at Le Mans-Les Croisettes prison early Thursday and threatened them with a knife, demanding that he be transferred to another facility, local BFMTV broadcaster said.

The national police task force (RAID) moved in and promptly detained the hostage-taker minutes after negotiations began, the broadcaster reported.

The man had been jailed for drug trafficking and was due to be released in 2021. He reportedly wanted to spend the rest of his jail term at a prison in Alencon-Conde.