Athens: Three inmates were caught trying to
tunnel out of Greece's top security prison, which is home to
deadly left-wing militants and has already experienced two
daring jailbreaks, an official said on Tuesday.
"An attempted escape has been foiled at Korydallos Prison
and those involved have been caught," deputy justice minister
George Petalotis said, praising guards for their vigilance.
State television NET said the three men, a Greek and two
foreigners, had dug a 10-metre hole into the prison's
basement. Guards yesterday found and confiscated rope, a
winch, a hammer and a chisel, NET said.
Korydallos holds many high-profile convicts including
members of the November 17 extremist organisation.
In 2009, prison authorities were left red-faced after two
convicts escaped by helicopter for the second time in three
years.
Bank robber Vassilis Paleokostas and convicted Albanian
killer Alket Rizai used a rope ladder to board the chopper
that had been hijacked by accomplices.
It was a repeat performance of an airborne escape by the
same pair in 2006. At the time, they were whisked out of
Korydallos by another hijacked chopper that landed in the
prison yard.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, August 30, 2011, 21:52