Super-Criminal Redoine Faid Escapes From French Prison WIth Explosives, Lands On Interpol Most Wanted List

Supercriminal Redoine Faid has escaped from a French prison, landing him on Interpol's most wanted list Monday, two days after he took four guards hostage and used explosives hidden inside tissue packets to blast his way out of a prison in Lille. Faid freed his hostages along his getaway route.

It wasn't the first time that Faid, an armed robber being held in the death of a police officer, had gone on the lam. He was arrested in 1998 after three years on the run in Switzerland and Israel, according to the French media. Faid was freed after serving 10 years of his 31-year sentence, then swore he had turned his life around, writing "Robber: From Suburbs to Organized Crime," which detailed his rise to the top of international wanted lists and the book took him on an extensive media tour.

"When I was on the run, I lived all the time with death, with fear of the police, fear of getting shot," he wrote.

Faid became popular on the French talk show circuit, vowing to stay away from crime. In 2011, he found himself back in jail.

The charismatic criminal, who is something of a celebrity in France, evolved from a petty thief to a theatrical killer, one time sporting a hockey mask à la Michael Mann's Heat. He would often attack armored trucks, and was about to stand trial in the death of a 26-year-old policewoman.

Faid's escape may have been planned out for weeks.  He is remarkably intelligent, and he is using his intellect to serve his ambitions.

No one was injured in Faid's escape. A European arrest warrant covering 26 countries has been issued for Faid, with Interpol assisting on the case as well. Police say he is armed, and still probably has his explosives.  It is unknown if anyone has spotted him since his Saturday escape.

When a super-criminal escapes from prison, many people become concerned, wondering if their safety is at risk.

While some people think that Faid is one of the coolest criminals out there, police warn that he is extremely dangerous. His good looks, and movie-star criminal qualities shouldn't deter any one from phoning in a possible sighting.