Prison Break!!! French Gangster Makes Dramatic Helicopter Escape From Prison

A notorious gangster has escaped by helicopter from a prison in Paris, the French authorities say.

Redoine Faid, who was once France’s most-wanted man, was helped by several heavily armed men who created a diversion at the prison entrance, today, while the helicopter landed in the courtyard.

The helicopter flew to the nearby Gonesse area, where it was found by local police.

Faid, 46, has been serving a 25-year sentence for a failed robbery during which a police officer was killed.

This is his second prison break: in 2013, he escaped after seizing four guards as human shields and blowing several doors off with dynamite.

Faid, who grew up in tough immigrant suburbs outside Paris, has made several television appearances and co-authored two books about his delinquent youth and rise as a criminal in the Paris suburbs.

He said his life of crime was inspired by American films such as “Scarface” and “Heat”.