Prison guards avert convict’s copter escape
The attempt to have convict Panayiotis Vlastos escape from the Trikala prison in central Greece failed on Sunday thanks to the swift reaction by prison guards after a fierce gun battle that had Vlastos injured.
A copter approached the Trikala jail carrying four men, who fired bullets at the guards and police while trying to lower a bag to the yard of the prison.
The guards responded and the result of the battle had the escape averted and Vlastos suffering injuries.
Vlastos, who received two life terms and 25 years for his role in the so-called “crime syndicate” that executed contract killings, had also tried to escape from an Athens prison in December 2011.
Deputy Justice Minister Costas Karagounis expressed his satisfaction at the guards’ response and told Antenna TV that the government had advance information of an escape attempt by Vlastos.
