Pilot Held At Gunpoint By 'Masked Commandos'

A hijacked helicopter was used in a prison escape in France Sunday that freed convicted murderer Redoine Faid from the Reau Prison north of Paris.

NBC News reports that two commandos wearing ski masks and police armbands entered the prison where Faid was meeting with his brother in a visiting room. A third commando was holding the helicopter pilot at gunpoint, forcing him to land in the only area of the prison not shielded by anti-helicopter netting. The two men in the prison used a grinding machine to cut open the door and lead Faid to the aircraft.

French media reports that the Alouette II helicopter was hijacked from a flying club in the Paris region. It was found burned in the town of Garges-les-Gonesse, in the northern suburbs of Paris. The pilot was released uninjured. Faid got into a car in a parking lot, and police lost track on him. His brother was taken into custody.

French Minister of Justice Nicole Belloubet said that earlier this year, drones had been sighted flying over the prison.

Faid was convicted of killing a young police officer during a botched robbery in 2010. In 2013, he had escaped from a different prison using explosives hidden in tissue packs, but arrested at a hotel about six weeks later.

(Image from file. Not incident aircraft)

FMI: Original report