Vikernes, known as 'The Count' after a string of Satanist-related crimes in the early 1990s, was said to have been equipped like a commando when police forced the stolen car he was driving off an Oslo highway early Monday.
Newspaper VG reported Tuesday that Vikernes was wearing camouflage clothing, was carrying knives and an AG3 automatic rifle, and also possessed a gas mask, mobile telephones, a Global Positioning System, maps and a compass.
Police believe the gear was from a military storage facility, VG wrote. Investigators thus have put a lid on information as they probe who might have helped Vikernes after he left Berg Prison Saturday morning.
Vikernes had been granted a 17-hour leave from the low-security facility where he'd been transfered August 4 in the midst of his 21-year sentence for murder and three church fire convictions in 1994.
His escape and the gear found with him reportedly have convinced police that he had carefully planned his moves and intended to leave the country. His defense attorney claims Vikernes merely was "frustrated" by his situation in prison, had been beaten by a fellow prisoner five years ago and wants to put his past behind him.
Instead, the 30-year-old former member of a black metal band now faces new charges of robbery after he hijacked a car from a family on Sunday. He's also expected to face additional prison time for his escape attempt.
