Police are hunting an inmate who fled an open prison on Christmas Day and is now unlawfully at large. The escapee, Mahad Elmi, 27, was previously convicted for masterminding a significant county lines drug dealing operation.
The Christmas Day Abscondment
Thames Valley Police have launched a public appeal to trace Elmi, who left HMP Springhill in Buckinghamshire and failed to return. The force has warned the public not to approach him, stating he has known links to South West London.
Elmi is described as a black man, around 5ft 8ins tall, of medium build with medium-length black hair, a beard and brown eyes. Anyone who sees him is urged to call 999 immediately.
Previous Conviction for County Lines Operation
The Mirror can reveal that Elmi's prison sentence stems from a 2019 conviction at Swansea Crown Court. He and his brother, Amin Elmi, were jailed for four years and six years respectively for selling heroin and crack cocaine in Cardiff.
The brothers, who are from London, had established a sophisticated drug dealing network in the Welsh capital. Their operation even extended to having laminated business cards made for their customers.
Central to their scheme was the exploitation of a vulnerable teenager. Police discovered the brothers were controlling a 17-year-old boy to assist with their county lines drug supply across Cardiff.
Police Raid and "Cuckooing" Tactics
The operation unravelled when officers from Cardiff's organised crime unit raided a flat in the Roath area in October 2018. They had received intelligence that a London-based county lines gang was "cuckooing" the address – a practice where drug dealers take over the homes of vulnerable people to use as a base.
During the raid, the teenager was found in possession of more than 50 wraps of heroin and crack cocaine, with an estimated street value of £1,000. All three individuals were arrested.
Officers also seized £405 in cash, mobile phones, drugs paraphernalia and cannabis. Mahad Elmi, then 20 and from Lambeth, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply. His brother Amin, then 19, was found guilty following a trial.
Context of Prison Absconds
Elmi's escape adds to the figures for prisoners absconding from open conditions in England and Wales. In the 12 months to March 2025, 57 prisoners absconded. While this number represents a decrease from 2020, when 143 inmates went missing, each case raises serious public protection concerns.
Detective Sergeant Matthew French, of Buckinghamshire's Priority Crime Team, stated: "We are appealing for the help of the public to trace Mahad Elmi, who is unlawfully at large after leaving and not returning to HMP Springhill. If you have any information as to where Elmi may be, please call 101 or make a report online, quoting reference number 43250653119."
