French-Algerian Redoine Faid - who has been dubbed an "escape artist" - has managed to break out of a prison in France, again.
The 46-year-old gangster managed to escape a Paris-based prison on Sunday via a helicopter, having been assisted by three heavily armed men, according to the BBC.
The escape took place in the prison's visitor room as Faid was conversing with his brother. Smoke bombs and angle-grinders were used to break into the room.
The helicopter, which was used to transport the prisoner, was later abandoned at a nearby airport and subsequently found by local police.
Edouard Phillipe, France's Prime Minister, said that 3,000 police officers are currently on a manhunt to locate Faid, according to CNN.
The 46-year-old had been serving a 25-year sentence for organizing an armed robbery in 2010, during which a police officer was killed.
"A spectacular escape"
Nicole Belloubet, France's Justice Minister, called the attempt a "spectacular escape".
"It was an extremely well-prepared commando unit that may have used drones to survey the area beforehand," she said.
Luckily, no injuries were reported during the jailbreak, which took only a few minutes.
This is not Faid's first prison break
In 2013, the 46-year-old fled prison after "seizing four guards as human shields and blowing several doors off with dynamite."
The escape was planned just half an hour after being admitted into the prison. He spent six weeks on the run at the time.
Faid's life of crime has reportedly been inspired by movies such as "Scarface" and "Heat". In 2009, Faid told Michael Mann, director of the film Heat, that he was his "technical adviser" during a film festival in Paris.