Michael Mann couldn't have directed a more elaborate scene.
On Saturday, French gangster Redoine Faid made a remarkable escape from Sequedin prison, located in the city of Lille, holding four guards hostage and detonating several prison doors before fleeing in a getaway car. He continued to evade authorities, setting his car on fire and leaving two hostages on a highway. At the moment, he's still on the loose.
So how the hell did Faid manage to pull this well-planned and escape off? According to officials, he was aided greatly by overpopulation. During a conversation with CNN, a spokesman for the French Ministry of Justice basically said that the ratio of inmates to guards at the prison makes it difficult to keep track of prisoners.
Also, where did the explosives come from? Authorities say Faid's wife visited him prior to the attack and may have snuck them into the prison. For obvious reasons, her attorney vehemently denies the accusation.
After serving a 10 year sentence for robbery, Faid penned the critically acclaimed autobiography Robber: From Suburbs to Organized Crime in 2010. However, he found himself back on the inside a year later after being accused of setting up the robbery of an armored car that left a policewoman dead.
Warrants have been issued for him in 26 countries and there are some 150 French police officers and Interpol pursuing him. Worthy of a film? We think so.
