France’s justice minister says investigators believe that drones seen months ago buzzing above a prison may be linked to the brazen escape of a notorious French criminal.
Justice Minister Nicole Belloubet said authorities are urgently looking for gaps in the security system that would have allowed heavily armed men to land a helicopter in the prison yard and fly away with Redoine Faid, whose brother was visiting him.
The helicopter was found torched in a field. French media reported that the three men took the pilot hostage and later freed him. Faid’s brother has been detained.
A wanted notice says Faid is believed to have made his escape in a utility company truck.
French prime minister Edouard Philippe said 2,900 officers are searching for Faid.
The notorious French criminal was serving 25 years for murder when the heavily armed men landed a helicopter in a courtyard, freed him from a visiting room and carried him away.
Top French criminal Redoine Faid escapes prison by helicopter pic.twitter.com/KczbYby8SJ
— Vlad Fabian (@vlafbi) July 1, 2018
It was the second daring escape by Faid, who once blasted his way out of a different prison with explosives hidden in tissue packs.
His latest escape, from Reau Prison, took only “a few minutes,” France’s Justice Ministry said. Unarmed guards said they could do nothing to prevent it.
