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[Blablurn]

(CNN) -- Redoine Faid fashioned himself as a modern-day gangster. He thought big -- getting inspiration from the movies, as when he wore a hockey mask like Robert DeNiro's character in "Heat" -- and acted audaciously, attacking armored trucks among other targets.

After more than a decade in prison, though, the Frenchman insisted he'd sworn off his wicked ways.

This promise didn't last for long, according to French authorities. In 2011, a year after his autobiography came out, Faid landed back behind bars.

Now, he is once again free -- and, once again, the subject of an international manhunt after his brazen escape from prison.

Faid held five people, including four guards, at gunpoint at a detention center in the northern city of Lille on Saturday, officials said. He then burst his way to freedom, detonating explosives to destroy five doors, penitentiary union spokesman Etienne Dobrometz told CNN affiliate BFMTV.

Where he is now is anyone's guess. French Justice Minister Christiane Taubira told reporters on Saturday that a European arrest warrant covering 26 countries has been issued, and that Interpol is working to track him down as well.

One person not surprised by Faid's breakout is his lawyer, Jean-Louis Pelletier. In a few days, Pelletier had planned to meet his client in preparation of an upcoming trial tied to a May 2010 attack in Villiers-sur-Marne, east of Paris, that left a 26-year-old policewoman dead.

"He is remarkably intelligent, and he is using his intellect to serve his ambitions," Pelletier told BFMTV. "(And Faid) cannot stand being imprisoned anymore."

Questions raised about prison's security

In his 2010 autobiography, "Robber: From Suburbs to Organized Crime," Faid chronicled his progression from a petty thief to one of France's most notorious criminals, according to the book's publisher, La Manufacture De Livres.

In 1998, after three years on the run during which he fled to Switzerland, Faid was finally caught. Sentenced to 20 years, he ended up spending more than 10 years in high-security prisons around France.

After getting out, Faid put himself out there -- not only with his book, but as the subject of numerous interviews.

The high-adrenaline life of crime he described resembled that of another famous French gangster, Jacques Mesrine. The country's most wanted man in the 1970s, Mesrine made his name as a charismatic, press-courting criminal known for his daring bank heists and spectacular prison breaks.

Mesrine's story ended in 1979, when he was gunned down by police on the streets of Paris.

Faid's prison escape Saturday evokes some of that brand of criminal bravado. But it also raises a number of questions: How did an inmate gets guns and explosives? How did he manage to use those to force his way out? And, after all that, why is he still at large?

The four guards who Faid allegedly held hostage "are safe and sound," said Lille prosecutor Frederic Fevre.

Still, officials from the prison guards' union pressed Taubira to provide better safety measures inside prisons, including more thorough searches of those who enter, BFMTV reported.

Built in 2005, the Lille-Sequedin penitentiary from which Faid escaped is not old, but it's not well designed to keep watch of prisoners, said Jimmy Delliste, a former associate director there.

"The construction ... makes it particularly difficult to manage detainees, who are particularly difficult to watch," Delliste told BFMTV.

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/04/13/world/europe/france-prison-escape/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

Faid:

 

[Hoo-doo]

Kinda badass.

 

[cubicle47b]

 

[JDSN]

Billy Zane was born to play that guy in the movie.

 

[Jezabel]

All that intelligence and putting it towards a life of crime. What a waste

 

[Corky]

Kinda badass.

Yeah I thought so as well until I read:

upcoming trial tied to a May 2010 attack in Villiers-sur-Marne, east of Paris, that left a 26-year-old policewoman dead.

 

[obin_gam]

This sounds quite cool!
Is he a murderer as well or only a thief? (So I know whether I should fear for civilians lives or not?)

 

[MistakenMobius]

Is he a murderer

At least cop killer

According to french newspaper, it his wife that gave him the explosive since it's forbiddent to check the visitors

 

[xbhaskarx]

According to french newspaper, it his wife that gave him the explosive since it's forbiddent to check the visitors

WAT

 

[Oppo]

does that gentleman have a bar code tattoo by any chance...

 

[MistakenMobius]

WAT

http://www.lemonde.fr/societe/article/2013/04/13/un-detenu-s-evade-en-prenant-cinq-otages-a-la-prison-de-sequedin_3159333_3224.html

"Les fouilles intégrales sur les personnes détenues n'ont pas été remplacées, comme elles l'auraient dû, par du matériel de détection adéquat et performant"

L'homme aurait en effet vu son épouse au parloir samedi matin. Selon une source syndicale citée par l'AFP, celle-ci lui aurait fourni les explosifs destinés à l'évasion, cachés dans des petits mouchoirs

 

[Log4Girlz]

Luthor you bastard.

 

[SirIgbyCeaser]

At least cop killer

According to french newspaper, it his wife that gave him the explosive since it's forbiddent to check the visitors

Is she in hiding too now? Because I assume she'll be the one in jail now if not.

 

[Akahige]

Sounds fucking crazy

 

[childplease]

According to french newspaper, it his wife that gave him the explosive since it's forbiddent to check the visitors

Why the hell not makes no sense not to inspect visitors.

 

[fallagin]

At least cop killer

According to french newspaper, it his wife that gave him the explosive since it's forbiddent to check the visitors

forbidden to check the visitors

That is just unbelievably dumb.

 

[Salsa]

GIVE BACK THOSE CAKES

 

[MistakenMobius]

That is just unbelievably dumb.

My bad it seems that it's forbiddent to check the inmates after their visit (But i guess it means that there is still no checks for the visitors)

http://www.leparisien.fr/lille-59000/evasion-de-redoine-faid-taubira-cible-des-syndicats-et-de-l-opposition-13-04-2013-2723929.php

«Supprimer les fouilles corporelles à l'issue des parloirs, c'est inadmissible», a ajouté M. Caron qui a appelé le directeur de l'administration pénitentiaire et la ministre de la Justice à «prendre leur responsabilités» et «à démissionner dès aujourd'hui». FO réclame aussi l'ouverture d'états généraux sur le métier de surveillant pénitentiaire.

Does the PS really want to give a Boulevard to the right wing at the next election?

 

[Messypandas]

swag

 

[Discotheque]

french lex luthor

 

[Kurtofan]

Why the hell not makes no sense not to inspect visitors.

Why check the family/visitors when you can check the prisoners after the visit?

If they didn't find anything on the prisoner they probably wouldn't have find it on the visitor.
It shouldn't be an ordeal to go visit your relative in prison.

Visitors aren't the ones who committed a crime, they shouldn't have to go through a full search.

 

[Acrylic7]

GIVE BACK THOSE CAKES

Holy shit this guy would make a perfect Lex.

 

[MistakenMobius]

Why check the family/visitors when you can check the prisoners after the visit?

If they didn't find anything on the prisoner they probably wouldn't have find it on the visitor.
It shouldn't be an ordeal to go visit your relative in prison.

it's also forbidden to check the inmate after the visit according to the prison security trade union

 

[Kurtofan]

it's also forbidden to check the inmate after the visit according to the prison security trade union

They should have been replaced by detection material but it hadn't been installed yet.

 

[Napoleonthechimp]

Why check the family/visitors when you can check the prisoners after the visit?

If they didn't find anything on the prisoner they probably wouldn't have find it on the visitor.
It shouldn't be an ordeal to go visit your relative in prison.

Visitors aren't the ones who committed a crime, they shouldn't have to go through a full search.

Something tells me this is going to change.

it's also forbidden to check the inmate after the visit according to the prison security trade union

... the fuck?

 

[Kurtofan]

Something tells me this is going to change.

Maybe for the prisoner search but I don't see why the visitors should be searched, unless you think the visitor is going to kill the inmate.

Searching the visitors is redundant when you can search the prisoner.

 

[Kurtofan]

Does the PS really want to give a Boulevard to the right wing at the next election?

La prison de Sequedin a été ouverte en 2005, elle n'a jamais fait l'objet d'une fouille générale ou même sectorielle, ce qu'on a dénoncé à maintes reprise à chaque fois qu'il y a eu des mouvements sociaux»

It says it's the case since the prison was opened in 2005, how is it the PS's fault?

 

[MistakenMobius]

It says it's the case since the prison was opened in 2005, how is it the PS's fault?

i was more referring to Taubira telling that therer is no fault in the system.

Moreover the Parti Socialiste has one decisive advantage over the right wing socialist: they are supported by the trade union of the penitentiary (FO and such) and the Syndicat de la Magistrature. they have far more flexibility to push changes and reform

 

[ComputerMKII]

And people say Manuel Valls is competent.

 

[Kurtofan]

And people say Manuel Valls is competent.

It could have happened under Sarkozy just the same.

And Valls is just a "left wing" Sarkozy.

I don't like Valls any more than Sarkozy since they have the same politics, but what could he have done?Prisons are the Justice minister's expertise.

 

[hgarrett54]

OMG so I'm not the only one who immediately though of Lex!

 

[raindoc]

i heard vin diesel will be starring.

 

[Router]

GIVE BACK THOSE CAKES

hahahahaha bless you.

 

[Wellscha]

It still amazes me how Carlos hasn't done that.

 

[DOBERMAN INC]

Don't worry guys, Superman will find him in no time.

 

[Salvor.Hardin]

This guy looks A LOT like Luthor from Superman: TAS

 

[ZombieFred]

Lex Luthor! This world can be sometimes incredible with the uncanny resemblance.

 

[Currygan]

 

[GraveHorizon]

Is it pronounced "reh-dwan fade"?

 

[Fari]

His face is so handsome it's almost as if he isn't bald.

 

[peanutbutterlatte]

"I challenge the Batman to try and catch me! MUHAHAHA!"

Is totally what I expected him to say.

 

[vas_a_morir]

This guy's name even sounds like a comic book villain.

 

[Karsticles]

it's also forbidden to check the inmate after the visit according to the prison security trade union

The French would be so fucked if they had a city like Detroit or Chicago to deal with.

 

[LaserBuddha]

Telly Savalas

 

[Good Job Bob]

Can't wait for the film.

 

[Dynamite Shikoku]

With those bald good looks he should have become an actor instead of a cop killer

 

[evil solrac v3.0]

Why check the family/visitors when you can check the prisoners after the visit?

If they didn't find anything on the prisoner they probably wouldn't have find it on the visitor.
It shouldn't be an ordeal to go visit your relative in prison.

Visitors aren't the ones who committed a crime, they shouldn't have to go through a full search.

the inmate could hide the contraband after the visit. visitors should be inspected BEFORE they enter, so that there is no chance that they can get their hands on contraband.

 

[Kurtofan]

the inmate could hide the contraband after the visit. visitors should be inspected BEFORE they enter, so that there is no chance that they can get their hands on contraband.

Well why can't they find the contraband on the inmate?

 

[Hawkian]

Well why can't they find the contraband on the inmate?

He's saying the inmate could hide contraband during or after the visit and before the inspection, which is probably exactly what happened. Why are you treating this as though we're discussing it academically, when this guy just actually blew himself out of prison, in real life?

 

[Kurtofan]

He's saying the inmate could hide contraband during or after the visit and before the inspection, which is probably exactly what happened. Why are you treating this as though we're discussing it academically, when this guy just actually blew himself out of prison, in real life?

He didn't get searched so the question is still valid.