BRAZIL’S federal police arrested former president Jair Bolsonaro on Saturday over suspicion he was plotting to escape and avoid starting a 27-year prison sentence for leading a coup attempt.

In an unexpected twist in the final stage of a long criminal trial, federal agents entered Mr Bolsonaro’s house early on Saturday under the order of a Supreme Court Justice to take him to the federal police headquarters in the capital, Brasilia.

Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who oversaw the case on Mr Bolsonaro’s attempt to keep the presidency after his defeat to President Luiz Inacio “Lula” da Silva in 2022, ordered the pre-emptive arrest after saying the far-right leader’s ankle monitor was violated at 12.08am on Saturday.

A report by custody agents released later in the day said Mr Bolsonaro admitted using a soldering iron to try to open the device that he had been ordered to wear after being deemed a flight risk.

Justice De Moraes said the arrest was a preventive measure because authorities believed Mr Bolsonaro was planning to try to escape to the United States embassy in Brasilia during “the confusion that would be caused by a demonstration organised by his son.”