Pink Panther Gang Member Mistakenly Released from Jail

(IDEX Online News) – A member of the Pink Panther organized crime network, which especially targeted jewelry stores, has been mistakenly released from an Austrian prison three years early.

The Serbian national was due to be released in fall 2017 after serving a six-year sentence for his role in an armed robbery of a jewelry shop in Eisenstadt in November 2005, but a computer error meant he was released by Austrian authorities in June.

Media reports reveal that the man, man known as "Ilija B" has reportedly returned to Serbia, where the authorities are now pursuing him with a European warrant.

During the robbery, more than $550,000 worth of goods were stolen. The jeweler was shot in the face and died seven years later as a result of his injuries, which had left him an invalid.

Last year, a member of the Pink Panther gang escaped from a jail in Switzerland.