The Greek Robin Hood Who Kidnapped Billionaires and Escaped Prison in a Helicopter

[music] Late 1980s, the northern city of Ioannina, near the Albanian border.

The streets are full of Greek soldiers in camouflage fatigues.

Tensions are rising in Albania.

The military presence is thick enough that nobody looks twice at two more uniformed men walking into the city's bank.

Captain and lieutenant, by the looks of them, submachine guns slung over their shoulders.

Just another Tuesday in a border town, except they're not soldiers.

Inside the bank, one of the men, the younger one, points his weapon at the teller and says, very calmly, "Fill the bag." His partner blocks a door.

Outside, a stolen truck sits ready, engine running, lookout posted.

The whole thing takes 30 seconds.

Bag filled, they walk out and open the doors to the getaway car.

Easy.

Well, almost, because there's a puppy in the backseat, a black and white shepherd they'd found whining in the bushes a few weeks earlier.

The younger man had fallen in love with this scrappy little thing, rebellious, a survivor, a dog after his own heart.

The younger man is Vasilis Paleokostas.

He's in his 20s, and this is his first bank robbery.

Vasilis had left his new furry friend in the car while they hit the bank.

Big mistake.

The second Vasilis opens the door, the puppy jumps out and starts running around.

He thinks it's a game.

His tail is wagging.

He's having the time of his life.

Vasilis chases after him, which if you've met a dog, you know that's a bad idea.

The closer he gets, the more the dog runs.

Sirens start wailing in the distance.

His partner is screaming from the driver's seat, "Leave it.