Ilyas Kherbouch, alias Ganito, a 21-year-old Franco-Moroccan, was arrested Friday evening in Canet-en-Roussillon, 13 days after escaping Villepinte prison. The escape was aided by fake police officers. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez praised the security forces.
On March 7, 2026, Ilyas Kherbouch, alias Ganito, escaped from Villepinte prison in Seine-Saint-Denis. Three people arrived, two posing as police officers, to extract him for custody. Prison staff noticed his absence only after 48 hours, the maximum custody period without mandatory return. The escape prompted a judicial investigation in Paris. Two men, including a minor, were charged on March 11 with organized escape, criminal association, active corruption, and forgery of public documents. The adult, born in 1998 from Toulon, is suspected of impersonating a police officer. On March 8, a vehicle check uncovered a Peugeot with a gyrolight, police armbands, handcuffs, a blonde wig, and two fake police cards. On March 20, 2026, his 21st birthday, Ganito was arrested without incident in Canet-en-Roussillon by the BRI from Pyrénées-Orientales and Hérault, plus the National Fugitive Search Brigade. 'Without incident. (...) Congratulations to our forces!', Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez posted on X. Known for aggravated thefts, he was serving four sentences and held in pre-trial detention for two cases, including a burglary at PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma's home. His lawyer, May Sarah Vogelhut, describes an impulsive youth deprived of freedom since age 14, with just one and a half months free. An associate mentions his wish to 'enter the legend'.
