Around 8 p.m. last night, three inmates at the Orsainville Detention Centre outside of Quebec City fled the jail as they were whisked away by a green helicopter that had touched down on the property. This counts as the second time this kind of escape has happened in Canada in only two years.

Yves Denis, Denis Lefebvre, and Serge Pomerleau were awaiting trial on drug-related charges, as well as charges of murder and gangsterism. The three men are reported to have ties to Hells Angels.

How is it possible that the men were able to flee so easily? Apparently, minimal security at the jail played a big part.

Via CBC News:

A spokesman for the union of prison guards, Mathieu Lavoie, said he's not surprised they were able to get away. He said security at the Orsainville detention centre is minimal, with only a few layers of barbed wire protecting the courtyard.

Lavoie also added that there aren't enough resources or guards at the facility to take on a helicopter potentially helmed by armed men.

Investigators suspect that the helicopter dropped the inmates in the nearby woods, as a way to draw attention away from them and the getaway helicopter. Police ask that if you encounter any of the three men below, to not approach them, but to contact police immediately.

[Image via AP]