PARIS: A gangster who was previously France’s most wanted man has escaped from his Paris prison in a helicopter.
Heavily armed men helped Redoine Faid escape the jail in Reau in the daring jailbreak on Sunday. The escape lasted a matter of minutes, with three accomplices flying away from the area along with 46-year-old Faid, sources said.
It is believed the Belgium-registered helicopter had been hijacked prior to the daring escape attempt. A police manhunt has since been launched across the entire Paris region – with the aircraft later found in Gonesse, north of Paris.
However, Faid has strong links to Israel, and it is feared he may be trying to flee there. The incident began when three men created a diversion by starting a gunfight outside the jail.
On landing, Faid’s accomplices left the helicopter wearing police armbands and brandishing Kalashnikovs.
They lit smoke grenades as they made their way towards the gangster – with guards ordered not to shoot for fear of causing chaos inside the prison grounds.
Faid was flown across Paris before the aircraft was dumped for a black Renault Megane, which traveled in the direction of the A1 motorway linking Paris to Lille. Incredibly, it’s not the first time Faid has been involved in a spectacular jailbreak.
In 2013, he used dynamite to blow his way out of a prison in northern France and remained on the run for six weeks.
Faid, a notorious career thief, once managed to talk his way out of a 10-year sentence by convincing parole officials he was a changed man who regretted his past actions.
