A group of men, some dressed like police officers, freed 53 inmates in a prison break that ended without one shot fired and the prison governor, 40 prison guards, and two police commanders on duty taken into custody for questioning, reports BBC.com [1].

The jailbreak happened early on Saturday when a convoy of at least 15 vehicles arrived at the prison in Zacatecas.

The men announced that they were there for a prisoner transfer, officials said.

Once inside, they freed 53 inmates, many of them believed to be hitmen for a powerful drug-smuggling gang known as the Gulf Cartel.

Officials said 11 of the escapees were "very dangerous".

The jail break, naturally, is believed to have been drug war related as well as partly an inside job.

"It is clear to us that it was a perfectly planned operation with inside help because it lasted just five minutes and not one shot was fired,"Zacatecas Governor Amalia Garcia Medina told reporters.

The Mexican government has organized a huge manhunt, involving the army and federal police, across several states, according to BBC.com.