The Greek police are looking for a blond woman, most likely Albanian, between 35 and 40 years old, who is a longtime friend of Alket Rizay and a key member of his gang – she organized his runaway from “Koridalos” prison with a chopper. On Sunday at around 03:30pm the two most strictly secured prisoners in Greece Vasilis Paleokostas and the Albanian Alket Rizay ran away from their cells and ridiculed the police in the country. The authorities claim they know the identity of the woman, who according to them played an important role in the kidnapping of the ship magnate Pericles Panagopoulos. Despite the 100% mobilization of the police, the runaways and their skilful accomplices are still not captured.

A source, quoted by “Elefterios Tipos” claims that the woman is most likely the same as the one seen by witnesses, who was watching Panagopoulos’ house few days before his kidnapping. The same source claims that Rizay is a key figure in another kidnapping case – the Thessaloniki contractor Giorgios Milonas. Rizay is also connected not only with simple crimes but also with terrorist organizations. “He has connections with many people and he is very valuable. He is the main brain behind many kidnappings and thefts, through which this expensive breakaway was organized,” says the anonymous source.

The woman was a very well known client of the company “Interjet,” because right before the escape, she hired a helicopter twice to go to Arahova. She introduced herself with the name “Alexandrova.” On the day of the escape, she appeared with her “husband,” who was introduced as “Tzingas.” After departure, the couple threatened the pilot with e hand grenade and forced him to land in “Koridalos,” from where they took the two prisoners and then continued to the Kapandriti suburb, where the helicopter landed and the prisoners abandoned the pilot tied and with a hood over his head.

Yesterday, the Justice Minister Nikos Dendias admitted that the escape could not have been executed without help from inside. He did not only mean help from other prisoners but also help from warders. This is the only way we can explain how Alket Rizay had a cell phone and a pocket knife, with which he threatened the security personnel. Many Greek media claim that on January 18^th there was an anonymous call at the “Koridalos” prison, which warned about the future escape of Paleokostas – no one paid any attention to it.

The police are looking for the criminals also in the cities Larisa, Trikala and Yanina but believe that they are still in Athens because Vasilis Paleokostas cannot risk to be captured again in a police ambush.