Woman 'tried to sneak inmate out of prison in a suitcase'

A woman was caught trying to sneak her common-law-husband out of a Mexican prison in a suitcase following a conjugal visit, according to police.

Staff at the prison in Chetumal in the Caribbean state of Quintana Roo noticed that the woman seemed nervous and was pulling a black, wheeled suitcase that looked bulky, said a police spokesman.

Prison guards checked the bag of 19-year-old Maria del Mar Arjona and found inmate Juan Ramirez Tijerina curled up inside in the fetal position, he added.

The prisoner is serving a 20-year sentence for a 2007 conviction for illegal weapons possession. Arjona was arrested and charges are pending.

The attempted escape comes months after police discovered a bar at prison in northern Mexico that served beer, tequila and vodka to inmates.

Security at Mexican state prisons is notoriously lax. Jailbreaks are common, inmates are often found to be directing criminal operations from behind bars, and corrupt guards are often found to be involved.


/Telegraph.co.uk/