How did Salah Abdeslam evade police immediately after the Paris attacks?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Map of central Paris showing locations targeted during the November 13, 2015 attacks, marked with numbered circles. The map includes symbols for explosion and shooting locations and outlines the city boundary. A timeline on the left lists each attack site and event details, including Stade de France, Rue Alibert, La Casa Nostra, La Belle Equipe, Bataclan, Cafe Comptoir Voltaire, and Saint-Denis. — Paris attacks of 2015 Significant sites related to the terrorist attacks in Paris on November 13, 2015.

Following the Paris attacks of 2015, Salah Abdeslam successfully evaded capture immediately after the events because he was stopped by police hours after the attacks but was subsequently released.1

While he was a primary suspect sought by authorities for his role as a driver for the suicide bombers at the Stade de France, he remained at large for several months. Investigators later traced his mobile phone to the suburb of Montrouge, where a bomb belt identical to those used by the attackers was discovered in a trash can, leading to speculation that he may have abandoned his own plan to carry out an attack. Abdeslam was eventually arrested in Molenbeek on March 18, 2016, following a brief gun battle.1