Escaped Prisoner Caught at Schiphol

Authorities suspect a 32-year-old German man in custody at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam is an escaped convict. The man was stopped by border agents when he presented a Jordanian passport without a visa for the Schengen area.

It was then discovered that the man was serving a prison sentence in Germany, and had been transferred from a corrections facility to an area hospital, authorities say. He escaped from the hospital soon thereafter.

A Marechaussee border agent checks a passport at Schiphol (photo: Marechaussee)

Once the Marechaussee, the Dutch armed force that handles security at the airport, decided to investigate further, the man confirmed that he also had German nationality. In consultation with a border control center, they learned of the man's fugitive status in Germany.

German authorities asked the Dutch police force to take the man into custody, according to the Marechaussee. He will be brought in front of a magistrate on December 27 for an extradition hearing.