French crime boss escapes prison by helicopter.

Redoine Faid, 46, escaped from prison in Reau, a southeastern suburb of Paris, France, in just minutes. He was aided by several accomplices carrying heavy weapons.AFPAccording to sources familiar with the matter.

The prison break occurred after Faid was sentenced to 25 years in prison for masterminding an armed robbery in May 2010 that resulted in the death of a female police officer. According to sources, Faid escaped with the help of three accomplices.

A helicopter landed in the prison yard at around 11:30 today and picked him up. Authorities later located the aircraft in a northeastern suburb of Paris. Police are launching a manhunt for the notorious criminal across the French capital.

This was Faid's second successful prison escape. In 2013, he also escaped from a high-security prison by using explosives to blast open the door. Faid had been imprisoned since mid-2011. Armed with a handgun, he took four prison guards hostage before escaping in a pre-arranged getaway vehicle. French police located and apprehended Faid six weeks later in a hotel on the outskirts of Paris.

In the 1990s, Faid ran a gang specializing in armed robberies and extortion. In 2001, he was sentenced to 30 years in prison for armed robbery. After serving 10 years, he was released early but was later returned to prison for violating the terms of his early release.

In 2009, Faid wrote a book about his experiences of being born and raised in a neighborhood inhabited by notorious criminals and how he became involved in crime.