A SUSPECTED thief has escaped an Icelandic prison and fled the country on a plane that was also carrying the nation’s prime minster.

Sindri Thor Stefansson was arrested in February for allegedly orchestrating the theft of 600 computers – worth £1.45 million – which were being used to to attack virtual currencies.

Local media say he arrived in Sweden using another man’s passport after escaping, via a window, from a low-security prison in Iceland.

He was identified by CCTV cameras but remains at large with an international warrant issued for his arrest.

The ‘Big Bitcoin Heist’, as the computer raid has come to be known, involved four separate break-ins at Icelandic data centres.

As of yet, none of the stolen computers have been located.

Stefansson boarded the flight to Sweden at Keflavik’s international airport – almost 60 miles away from the open prison he escaped from.

Sogn prison has no perimeter fence and affords prisoners access to the internet and mobile phones.

Although the specifics of the escape remain the matter of speculation, it seems the prisoner’s freedom bid, launched on Tuesday morning, remained unreported by guards until the flight bound for Stockholm had already taken off.

Icelandic prime minister Katrin Jakobsdottir, who was heading to Sweden for talks with other Nordic leaders, has not commented on the fugitive’s escape.