A notorious French gangster used dynamite to blast through five prison walls to get to his freedom Saturday (April 13). More than two dozen European nations have been put on high alert to potentially nab the escapee, believed to be armed and dangerous.
Redione Faid was serving time in the Sequedin Prison in Lille, for a slue of armed robberies, and broke out in a scene straight out of Hollywood movie script. In making the escape, the 40-year-old held five people hostage--four of whom were prison guards-- set five different prison doors ablaze, blew up his getaway car, and has not been seen since.
No one was injured in the blast.
“It happened very quickly, it was clearly very well organized, we are still busy putting the facts together,” an official noted.
Faid's wife is suspected of smuggling the explosives inside the prison via a blanket.
“I thought my last hour had come,” said witness Rosa Lafont. She was visiting her son in prison as Faid was breaking free. “Suddenly, everything started blowing up. The walls started shaking, as did the windows and the doors. I was really scared.”
Authorities have named Faid a “dangerous prisoner,” and have no idea where he could be hiding out. “The hunt will initially focus on Belgium of course because we share a border but also extend to the entire Schengen area and beyond,” vowed Christiane Tabura, justice minister of France.
In 1995, Faid stayed on the run for three years before being apprehended and sentenced to 20 years. He was paroled a decade later. This latest prison trip came when Faid was suspected of masterminding a 2010 robbery that ended in the death of a police officer.
Faid wrote in his autobiography that his crime spree is inspired by legendary gangster films, Scarface and Heat.
According to his attorney, Faid is "very intelligent," and using his "intellect to serve his ambitions." Also, he's just tired of being locked up. "[Faid] cannot stand being imprisoned anymore."
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