Two inmates have escaped from Alcoentre Prison at around 6:20 p.m. on Monday. One of the watchtowers was reportedly inactive in that area from Sunday to Monday.
The fugitives have been identified as Hélder Malheiro, 37, and Augusto Dinis, 44, serving sentences for robbery and drug trafficking, respectively.
The escape, which was reportedly planned, took place after dinner when the two men scaled the wall using a rope.
The incident has been reported to the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the authorities.
The Directorate-General for Reintegration and Prison Services (DGRSP) emphasized in a statement that the police have been informed to ensure the “recapture of the escapees”, who are Portuguese nationals convicted for drug trafficking and robbery, with sentences of five years and eight months and four years and nine months in prison, respectively.
“Internally, an inquiry will be conducted by the Audit and Inspection Service coordinated by a Public Prosecutor’s magistrate to determine the circumstances of the occurrence,” it highlighted.
Yesterday in Alcoentre, there was a throw of mobile phones into the prison. The tower from which they escaped was active; we detected the phones. Today, by decision of our leadership, it was decided not to activate it.
Inactive watchtower? “By decision of our leadership, it was decided not to activate it”
Meanwhile, Frederico Morais, leader of the National Prison Guard Corps Union (SNCGP), stated that this escape “is yet another proof of the failure of the prison system over the past 10 months because nothing has been done”.
“In one week, four prisoners escaped. [There were] escape attempts, two succeeded, now a third, and we see no resolution. There are fewer and fewer guards, but we are asked to do more. Today, the inmates escaped because there were no prison guards to control the perimeter of the Alcoentre prison,” he said in a statement to SIC Notícias.
Frederico Morais also revealed that one of the inmates had been transferred “from Ponta Delgada, for having attempted to escape”. “He was placed in a semi-open prison regime. In other words, we did not take care to watch someone who was being transferred due to an escape attempt,” he noted.
The official highlighted that the Azorean fugitive “will hardly manage to go anywhere” as “he is someone without any support outside.”
The other inmate, who was detained in Beja, was “a recipient of trafficking inside the prison and also took the opportunity”.
Two men, aged 37 and 44, escaped late this afternoon from the Alcoentre Prison, in the municipality of Azambuja, Lisbon district, said a source from the Directorate-General for Reintegration and Prison Services (DGRSP).
Lusa | 21:44 – 07/07/2025
“Yesterday in Alcoentre, there was a throw of mobile phones into the prison. The tower from which they escaped was active; we detected the phones. Today, by decision of our leadership, it was decided not to activate it,” he added.
Frederico Morais was emphatic and denounced a “lack of competence of those leading the prison services”.
“We have a Minister of Justice who is one of the best we have had so far, but she chose the wrong team to lead this. I cannot understand how, after 10 months, we continue to have escapes and escape attempts like we are having. It looks like a kindergarten,” he added.
