Lithuanian capital shattered by manhunt of escaped armed drug addict

Around 3,000 police officers were hunting here after a young man armed with AK47 rifle, after the detainee managed to escape from a police station on Thursday.

Igor Molotkov, the wanted gunman, was being transported by police to Vilnius from neighboring Salcininkai district, when he managed to grab a Kalashnikov automatic rifle from the police car, and escaped to surrounding blocks in the capital city.

The 24-year-old man is known as a drug addict and has mental disorder, police told local media.

"He is still wanted; bad weather, darkness aggravates the hunt," Edvardas Sileris, Lithuanian police vice commissioner general, was quoted as saying by local media.

He said the search will continue until the armed man is caught.

In Salcininkai, Molotkov was serving an administrative penalty and was being transported to Vilnius due to health problems, police said.

"It was absolutely a unprofessional and pitiable situation," Saulius Skvernelis, Lithuania's interior minister, was quoted as saying by the local broadcaster Info TV.

He said he believed that other police officers will correct this "regrettable" mistake.

The minister also urged the Vilnius residents to take into account police alerts.

"Even it is difficult to say now, trust the police," Skvernelis said.

Lithuanian police urged all under-aged children who were staying out in the city to go back home as soon as possible, and asked those staying far from home abstain from travelling home alone. All Vilnius residents were asked to be vigilant and careful.

The Anti-terrorist Operations Unit Aras and the VIP Protection Department also offered hands to local police, according to ELTA news agency.

Following the deadly Paris terrorist attacks, Lithuanian officials have been debating on the reestablishment of Crisis Management Center recently. Endit