The dramatic jailbreak-by-helicopter of notorious French gangster Redoine Faid was carried out by four or five close and loyal friends, police say.
New details have emerged of the raid, in which the assailants cut their way into the visiting room of the prison before making their helicopter getaway.
French police warned that “beyond his charisma and aura, beyond the folklore, [Faid] is a dangerous individual.”
France’s justice minister has resisted calls to resign over the scandal.
“It goes without saying that I am entirely responsible for what happens in my administration, but I do not personally make these decisions,” Nicole Belloubet told broadcaster RTL.
She also revealed that mobile phones would be completely jammed in French prisons from October.
Faid has called himself a huge fan of gangster films, which he credits with teaching him how to pull off extravagant heists.
He once told France’s Point magazine he had watched 1995’s Heat seven times at the cinema and “a hundred times on DVD” to dissect the scene of an armoured car robbery.
Thousands of police have joined a manhunt for the escaped gangster, who has not been seen since.
French police say they are still focusing on the domestic manhunt – but admit that Faid may have fled abroad.
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