A prisoner has vanished from Norway's Bastøy Prison without leaving any clues about his escape. The man was discovered missing during a routine headcount on Saturday night.
Prison authorities launched an extensive search operation involving approximately 30 personnel. They combed through all rooms in the facility's 80 buildings and searched surrounding waters by boat.
Police assisted with two patrol units and deployed drones in the operation. After nearly 24 hours of searching, officials concluded the inmate is no longer on the island.
"We have ended the search," said Bastøy prison director Bjørn Robert Orten Groven. "Despite major efforts, no findings were made. In a way, that is also a finding. We have therefore concluded he is not on the island."
The case has now been transferred to police, who have issued a nationwide alert for the missing inmate. Authorities confirmed this is not an international search warrant.
Groven declined to share details about the inmate's background or sentence. When asked about potential security changes, he stated, "That remains to be seen, but we will conduct an evaluation afterward."
Bastøy Prison is Norway's largest low-security facility, housing up to 115 male inmates. The prison island functions as a small community with shops, a church, roads, beaches, and sports facilities.
Inmates are counted three times daily at the facility, which primarily houses prisoners nearing the end of longer sentences. The disappearance raises questions about security protocols at what is considered a model for rehabilitation-focused prisons.
Norwegian correctional services now face the challenge of explaining how an inmate could vanish from an island prison without detection. The complete lack of evidence about the escape method suggests either careful planning or potential inside assistance.
Police continue their investigation into the disappearance but currently have no leads about the inmate's whereabouts or escape route.