Sir Mark Rowley said the ex-British soldier s jailbreak from HMP Wandsworth was clearly pre planned and confirmed the prospect of jail staff helping him remained part of enquiries.
The Met is offering a reward of up to £20,000 for information that leads to the arrest of Daniel Abed Khalife, as detectives investigate a sighting of him near Wandsworth Roundabout.
Former soldier Khalife, 21, who is alleged to have spied for Iran, escaped from Wandsworth Prison in a van on Wednesday morning. Khalife s family have appealed for him to give himself up.
The Ministry of Justice is now investigating why someone accused of such serious offences was not placed in a higher security prison, as experts furiously question why Khalife was not seen as more of a risk.