Authorities said the men broke out on Saturday from the Drenova prison, located some 170 kilometer (102 miles) south of the capital Tirana.
In a statement, police warned residents to stay behind closed doors, as the fugitives were “armed and dangerous.”
It also said that a “significant” number of law enforcement officers were participating in a search operation for the escaped convicts.
Officials in neighboring countries, Greece and Macedonia, have also been informed of the prison break.
According to local media, the convicts had managed to disarm prison guards before escaping under the cover of darkness. It was also reported that the escapees had hijacked the car of a local village chief.
Albania, considered as one of Europe’s poorest nations, has seen spiraling crime rates, including an increase in the number of murder cases in the last four years.
A study published last month by the Institute for Democracy and Mediation, IDM, showed the homicide rate rose by 40 percent in 2010 and 2011 compared with the two preceding years.
In addition, the institute said a total of 14,030 criminal investigations were registered in 2012, with one crime committed on average every 40 minutes.
CAH/HSN
Source Article from http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/11/24/336407/albania-police-launches-manhunt/
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