The prisoners, 40-year-old Davad Zukanovic and 46-year-old Lil Ahmetovic, allegedly escaped the prison just outside Rome, Italy earlier this month.

They are believed to have sawed through the bars of their cell, scaled the prison walls using a fire hose, and broken through the final wire fence with bolt-cutters.

The pair, who are cousins, left behind a note explaining that their sons needed help and their wives could not step in because they are also in prison, The Times reports.