An Italian mafioso’s dramatic escape from a high-security prison has gone viral on social media.
Marco Raduano, 40, escaped from the Badu’e Carros prison in Sardinia on Friday and the incident was caught on surveillance footage and shared widely on social media.
The tracksuit-wearing mafioso can be seen in the video clambering down two stories with the help of a makeshift rope made from knotted bedsheets as he jumps and lands on the grass below.
He then makes a run towards the prison’s exterior wall, scales it and vanishes into the small city of Nuro. The escape went unnoticed for two hours due to “staff shortages”.
The incident has raised concerns about the safety of high-security prisons.
Raduano had been serving an 18-year sentence for drug trafficking when he took advantage of the understaffing of the prison.
Italian authorities admitted the escape was because of “staff shortages” due to aggressive cuts, which left around 50 employees to manage 180 prisoners. An employee told the newspaper Il Messaggero that the lack of staff contributed to the “daring escape”.
Giovanni Villa, a local correctional officers’ union leader, was quoted as saying to The Telegraph, that it appeared Raduano had planned the escape well in advance and had everything ready.
“It seems he had everything ready and that the escape was well planned for some time,” he said.
He reportedly managed to disappear into the city without a trace, with a search now ongoing for him as Italian authorities conduct a manhunt throughout the area.
The police have put up roadblocks and are conducting checks on any vehicles leaving the city. The Italian government has ordered the deployment of hundreds of soldiers and police officers to Sardinia to help with the search.
Raduano is believed to have ties to the local mafia, which has raised concerns about the possibility of retaliation or violence. The police have warned the public not to approach Raduano if they see him, but to call the emergency number immediately.
Italian authorities have come under criticism over understaffing issues and lack of security measures. The incident has underscored the need for urgent reforms to improve the safety of prisons and ensure dangerous criminals are kept securely.
The manhunt for Raduano now continues and Italian authorities have appealed to the public for any information that could lead to his capture.
