A French inmate who escaped police after a violent attack on a prison convoy in May has been captured in Romania, French officials announced on Saturday. The capture ends a monthslong hunt for Mohamed Amra, 28, whose daring escape resulted in the deaths of two prison guards.
Amra was taken into custody with the cooperation of the Romanian government, according to Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau. President Emmanuel Macron hailed the capture as a “tremendous success” and thanked investigators who tracked Amra for months.
The violent attack on May 1st was a brazen daytime assault in which two gunmen rammed a police van carrying Amra before firing bullets into the vehicle for over two minutes. The attackers fled in stolen cars, leaving behind burned vehicles.
Amra, known as La Mouche or The Fly, had been sentenced to 18 months in prison for burglary but was also under investigation on more serious charges, including international drug trafficking and organized crime. However, prosecutors have stated that Amra has no prior convictions related to drug trafficking.
The incident raised concerns about France’s overcrowded prison system and the government’s handling of violent inmates like Amra. The attack came as France was preparing for the Paris Olympics, and it highlighted the country’s struggle with rising crime and violence, particularly in rural areas.
French authorities have not released details on the investigation into the other individuals involved in the ambush.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/22/world/europe/france-manhunt-prison-break-arrest.html