Trio’s brazen jailbreak plot at Port Phillip Prison foiled
A trio of violent inmates schemed together in a daring escape plan at Victoria’s biggest maximum security prison, before it was foiled by officers who made the shock discovery. Here’s how the Shawshank Redemption-inspired jailbreak plot unfolded.
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A jailbreak plot by violent criminals has been foiled at Victoria’s biggest maximum-security prison.
Officers at Port Phillip Prison found bricks had been removed from a cell on Saturday night.
Three inmates had been using spoons, forks, scissors and other makeshift tools to extract them.
An object, believed to be a bolt from a rifle, was also seized.
The location of the rest of the weapon remains unclear.
“It’s a bit of a Shawshank Redemption job,” a source said.
The Herald Sun understands the inmates were likely to have been planning to dig their way out before trying to scale perimeter fencing.
It is believed they had stuffed tissue in the gaps between the bricks to conceal the absence of mortar.
A Department of Justice spokeswoman confirmed the attempted breakout, saying that “a prisoner’s plan to escape from the privately operated Port Philip Prison was thwarted through prison intelligence”.
“Prison officers initially uncovered the plan and stringent security measures were immediately put in place (on Saturday) afternoon to secure the facility,” the spokeswoman said. “Corrections Victoria will work with police to assist them with their ongoing investigation.”
It is not known how long the work had gone in undetected.
One theory is that much of the digging was done after evening lockup when prisoners are left alone in their cells.
Port Phillip, run by private operator G4S in Melbourne’s western suburbs, remained in lockdown yesterday amid a major internal security investigation.
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All three suspects have been moved to Barwon Prison, near Geelong.
The escape plot’s mastermind, originally from New Zealand, is set to be deported when his term expires.
Advances in technology have made escape bids from maximum-security jails rare.
Another of the men is believed to be behind bars over a high-level importation of the drug ice.
The Herald Sun hasn’t not been able to reach G4S for comment.