Police hunt for masked vandals following graffiti attack on Prague metro

A group of masked vandals forced a two-hour shutdown of Prague’s metro B (yellow) line early Saturday morning after they spray-painted several subway cars at Rajská zahrada station and fled into a tunnel to evade police, officials said.

According to police spokesman Richard Hrdina, 11 individuals wearing masks and equipped with spray-painting gear boarded a train at the station shortly before 7 a.m. As the train arrived with passengers onboard, members of the group used emergency safety levers to forcibly shut the doors of three carriages. In less than two minutes, they covered the cars in graffiti while trapping some passengers inside.

"Several whistleblowers immediately called 158, and the operations officer dispatched police patrols to the scene," Hrdina said. "The sprayers ran into the subway tube ahead of the police and fled in the direction of Černý Most."

Despite a two-hour search, officers were unable to locate or apprehend any suspects. Metro service was suspended between the Černý Most and Florenc stations during the investigation.

Video footage released by the Czech Police and obtained from surveillance cameras at Rajská zahrada shows the group acting in a coordinated and highly prepared manner. Additional videos taken by passengers confirm that emergency mechanisms were used to secure the train doors during the incident.

Authorities estimate the vandals damaged approximately 60 meters of the metro train, causing property damage exceeding CZK 100,000.

The Prague Criminal Investigation Department is leading the case and has appealed to the public for assistance. Witnesses are encouraged to contact the police hotline at 158.

All members of the group are suspected of criminal damage to property, a charge that carries a penalty of up to one year in prison if convicted, according to police.