Greek police arrest suspected organiser of dramatic 2006 prison escape

21/08/2008

ATHENS, Greece -- Police arrested a man Tuesday (August 19th) suspected of masterminding the escape of two prisoners from the most guarded prison in the country two years ago. The pair fled the Korydallos Prison outside Athens in June 2006 after associates hired a helicopter and threatened its pilot with a hand grenade, forcing him to land in the prison yard. According to local media reports, the alleged organiser is a 27-year-old man apprehended in the western town of Agrinio. Police also captured one of the escapees, Albanian national Alket Rizai. The other, Vassilis Paleokostas, remains at large. Some reports allege that Paleokostas was involved in the recent kidnapping of prominent businessman George Milonas, whom abductors released after payment of a 30m-euro ransom. (Apogevmatini, Kathimerini, Agelioforos, Eleftheros Typos, Ta Nea - 21/08/08; AP - 20/08/08; RIA Novosti - 19/08/08)