Prisoner escapes after armed ambush at Serres hospital

A 41-year-old prisoner escaped custody on the night of September 11, 2026, during a transfer from Nigrita Prison to the General Hospital of Serres, Greece. Around 23:30, as the prison transport vehicle reached the hospital's courtyard near the psychiatric ward, the convoy was intercepted by perpetrators in vehicles resembling police units, including a Nissan Navara equipped with a beacon. The attackers, wielding Kalashnikov rifles, held the two prison guards at gunpoint, disarmed them, and successfully extracted the prisoner before fleeing the scene.

While some initial reports suggested the accomplices were disguised as members of the OPKE police unit, other sources clarify that there is no evidence they wore uniforms, noting instead that the deceptive nature of their vehicles caused the initial confusion. The escaped individual, an Albanian national convicted of drug and homicide-related offenses, is currently the subject of an extensive manhunt by Greek law enforcement. Authorities are actively searching for both the fugitive and his accomplices while investigating the details of the security breach.