LONDON DAILY ARCHIVE
Fugitive French Gangster 'The Fly' Arrested in Romania After Deadly Prison Escape
Mohamed Amra, who escaped during a violent ambush leading to the deaths of two guards, has been apprehended after a nine-month international manhunt.
23 February 2025 · 08:24 UTC
French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau expressed gratitude on social media for the cooperation from Romanian authorities that led to Amra's apprehension.
In May 2024, Amra, 30, was being transported in a van with other inmates when armed assailants attacked the convoy in the Normandy region of France.
The ambush left two guards dead and three others injured.
Four armed men in two vehicles executed the attack while the transport was en route, utilizing a well-planned strategy that involved surrounding multiple police vans at a toll booth.
Footage from the scene depicted the chaos, including one officer desperately aiding a colleague who was critically injured.
Amra was serving a sentence for burglary at the time of his escape, but he was also under investigation for attempted murder and kidnapping resulting in death.
The Paris prosecutor, Laure Beccuau, has stated that Amra has links to organized crime syndicates in Marseille and is believed to have been overseeing a drug trafficking operation.
His criminal history began at a young age, with his first offences occurring between the ages of 11 and 14. Since his escape, he has been labeled as a significant figure in the ongoing challenges faced by French law enforcement in managing organized crime and ensuring the security of high-risk prisoners.
Following the ambush, one of the assailants’ vehicles, a white Audi A5, was found burnt nearby, while the second vehicle, a BMW 5 Series, escaped the scene.
The violent nature of the attack and subsequent escape has raised concerns about the safety protocols in place for the transport of dangerous prisoners in France.