Greek fugitive Vassilis Paleocostas managed to escape from Greek police for a second time after evading a police roadblock in Alepophori, west of Athens last week.

Despite an extensive police hunt in western Attiki police were not able to apprehend the two fugitives, Vassilis Paleocostas and Alket Rizai.

Police raided the suspected hideout of escaped convict Vassilis Paleocostas in Alepohori, western Attica, late on Tuesday night.

The raid on the coastal summerhouse was carried out just a few hours after Paleocostas evaded the police roadblock.

Officers emerged with several forged driving licenses, fake car license plates as well as wigs and other disguise props. But the search turned up no guns or money.

It is believed that Paleocostas and Alket Rizai, the Albanian convict with whom the 43-year-old serial robber escaped from Korydallos Prison in February, had been holed up in the Alepohori house for the past two months.

Police said units were dispatched to monitor the area two weekends ago following reported sightings of Paleocostas.

When a black jeep failed to stop at a police roadblock shortly after midnight last Monday the suspicions of officers were raised. A chase ensued for about three kilometres until police stopped the jeep by shooting at its tyres.

Paleocostas abandoned the vehicle and disappeared into a nearby forest.

A check on the jeep determined that it was a stolen vehicle with fake license plates, copied from another black jeep to create confusion.

A search inside the vehicle turned up a Kalashnikov automatic rifle and five mobile telephones whose batteries had been removed to reduce traceability.

Police are now also seeking Rizai’s 33-year-old Greek girlfriend, who has been going under the fake name of Eleni Fotiadou and is believed to have rented the house for the two fugitives to use as a hideout.

The woman is believed to be the same tall blonde who rented the helicopter used in February’s spectacular jailbreak. At that time, she used the name Alexandrova, police said.

The 33-year-old is believed to have been present in court when the two criminals were on trial for their first helicopter escape in June 2006. They are thought to have slipped a wrist watch that functions as a cellular phone to Rizai and then to have used it to communicate with accomplices.

A massive police operation in western Attica, involving some 500 officers, was called off on Thursday as it became clear that the fugitives had once again eluded authorities.
But Interior Minister Christos Markoyiannakis said that the search would go on.

“The Paleocostas case is a priority. The effort will continue and we hope to have results soon,” he said.