A fugitive French prisoner who prompted an international hunt after staging a deadly escape nine months ago was arrested Saturday in Romania, the French government said.
French President Emmanuel Macron called the capture a ‘’formidable success'' and praised European colleagues who had pursued him. French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau thanked ″all the forces who permitted the arrest of Mohamed Amra in Romania today”, in a post on X.
Romanian police said that Amra was arrested in an operation in the capital, Bucharest.
Two guards - Fabrice Moello and Arnaud Garcia - were killed when armed assailants helped Amra escape from a prison convoy in Normandy last May. CCTV showed Amra’s prison van was rammed by a car before at least two armed men in balaclavas emerged.
The escape prompted a high-profile search and shock across France. Interpol issued a notice for his arrest.
Amra, 30, made his escape after being sentenced for burglary in the Normandy town of Evreux. He was also under investigation for an attempted organized homicide and a kidnapping that resulted in death, prosecutors said.
He is understood to be the boss of a narcotics network who is known by the nickname “La Mouche”.
Paris Prosecutor Laure Beccuau has said that Amra had connections with Marseille’s organized crime syndicates and was suspected of heading a drug trafficking network.
Amra's first offences occurred between the ages of 11 and 14, according to the prosecutor. Nicknamed “La Mouche” (The Fly), Amra has also been referred to by other aliases such as “Yanis,” “Momo,” and “Schtroumpf” (Smurf).
Amra’s escape and violent history made him a symbol of the challenges faced by French law enforcement in combating organized crime and ensuring the security of high-risk prisoners.
