- Redoine Faid, 46, broke out of te prison in Reau in city's southeastern suburbs
- He broke out of the penitentiary with the help of two accomplices in minutes
- They used smoke bombs and angle grinders to overcome wardens in the prison
- It is the second time Faid has escaped jail after previously blowing his way out
A notorious gangster who said his life of crime was inspired by films like 'Scarface' pulled off a brazen jailbreak on Sunday, fleeing a prison near Paris aboard a hijacked helicopter.
Redoine Faid, 46, who was once France's most wanted man broke out of the penitentiary in Reau in the capital's southeastern suburbs, with the help of two accomplices in a matter of minutes.
They used smoke bombs and angle grinders to overcome wardens in the facility's visiting room where Faid was talking to a brother, according to prison unionist Martial Delabroye.
The men quickly made good their escape in the helicopter in an operation lasting just 10 minutes, Delabroye said.
It's the second time Faid has pulled off a spectacular jailbreak - in 2013, he blasted his way out of a prison in northern France using dynamite. He was recaptured six weeks later.
The helicopter - hijacked from a terrified flight instructor - landed at around 11.15am in the prison yard.
Redoine Faid, 46, broke out of the prison in Reau in the city's southeastern suburbs within minutes on Sunday
Armed police stand by as investigators transport an Alouette II helicopter allegedly abandoned by French prisoner Redoine Faid to pull off a brazen prison break
A car abandoned by Faid is seen at O'Parinor shopping mall parking after his escape onboard a helicopter from a prison in Reau
The two black-clad men armed with assault rifles set off smoke bombs before breaking their way into the prison's visitation room using the power tools.
Informed sources earlier said there were three accomplices.
The wardens, who were unarmed, fled to safety and raised the alarm.
The accomplices went into the visitation room, reportedly armed with Kalashnikov rifles, and demanded Faid's release, BFM-TV reported.
A union representative told local media that the men were 'dressed in black and hooded' while wearing police armbands.
The helicopter was later found in Garges-lès-Gonesse, a northeastern suburb of Paris about 37 miles from the prison, one source said, adding that a manhunt has been launched across the entire Paris region.
A police source said the helicopter pilot was a flight instructor waiting for a student when he was seized by Faid's accomplices. He was forced to fly before being later freed in a state of shock.
They managed to whisk him away in a helicopter (pictured after it landed about 40 miles away) which had been flown into the prison courtyard
Three armed and well-trained men reportedly presented themselves at the prison (pictured in a file image) and demanded Faid's release
Investigators trasnport an Alouette II helicopter allegedly abandoned by French prisoner Redoine Faid and suspected accomplices after his escape from the prison of Reau
The men apparently went on to use a car that was later found torched in a shopping mall carpark, police said.
The Ministry of the Interior said a huge police response has been ordered in an attempt to catch the fugitive, who has been described as dangerous.
'Everything is being done to locate the fugitive,' an official said.
The escape came after an appeals court in April sentenced Faid to 25 years for masterminding a botched armed robbery in 2010 in which a policewoman was killed.
Faid has been behind bars since mid-2011 for breaking the terms of his parole over past convictions for bank robberies and brazen heists of cash-in-transit vehicles.
A union representative told local media that the men were 'dressed in black and hooded' while wearing police armbands. Pictured: The helicopter
In his 2013 jailbreak, he briefly took four guards hostage with a pistol before escaping in a waiting getaway car. All the hostages were released unharmed.
Faid was recaptured six weeks later at a hotel in an industrial area on the outskirts of Paris.
A woman working at the hotel told AFP at the time that Faid's accomplice had paid for the room in cash and that the two men had been there for several days.
Faid had earlier been released from a 10-year stint behind bars after convincing parole officers that he regretted his criminal past and was determined to start afresh.
Police nicknamed him 'The Author' for two books he co-wrote about his delinquent youth.
The aircraft landed in Garges-lès-Gonesse, about 37 miles from the prison. Pictured: The aircraft in a field after the escape
The men were picked up in a black Renault car before switching to a white van after landing the helicopter
It is the second time Faid has pulled off a spectacular jailbreak - in 2013, he blasted his way out of a prison (pictured at the time) in northern France using dynamite before being recaptured six weeks later
Faid, who has a cult following in the tough immigrant suburbs outside Paris where he grew up, has made several television appearances.
At a Paris film festival in April 2009, Faid approached Michael Mann, director of the 1995 gangster film 'Heat' starring Al Pacino and Robert Niro, telling him: 'You were my technical adviser.'
He wrote that he had watched the film dozens of times to perfect his bank-robbing prowess.
One of his prison supervisors said that Faid had never had any conflict with staff, 'but we must always be wary'.
'In the corner of his mind, he never lost the idea of escaping. Behind all his manners - he is very polite - he always hid his game,' the supervisor said.
Delabroye, the prison union rep, said the yard where the helicopter landed is the only area not equipped with anti-aircraft netting because inmates never use it - 'except to leave the prison'.
This file photo taken on April 15, 2013 in Paris shows a reproduction of the Interpol website shows the international wanted person notice for French robber Redoine Faid
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