Latest news with #LaMouche
Local France
14-05-2025
- Local France
How escaped French drug kingpin ‘La Mouche' evaded capture for months
His escape left two prison officers dead and triggered a massive manhunt for a man dubbed 'La Mouche' (The Fly). On the run for nine months, he was re-arrested in February near a shopping centre in Romania's capital Bucharest then extradited to France. On the one-year anniversary of the escape, French President Emmanuel Macron will visit the families of the victims on Wednesday to pay tribute to the first prison officers killed in France in the line of duty since 1992. On May 14th, 2024, a car crashed head-on into a prison van at a toll booth in France's northern Normandy region. Moments later, a second car pulled up and four armed men jumped out, killing prison officers Arnaud Garcia and Fabrice Moello and leaving three others wounded. At the time of the deadly ambush, Amra already had a long history of convictions for violent crimes that started when he was only 15. So when the assailants whisked the 30-year-old Normandy native into a waiting vehicle, French authorities launched a massive manhunt to track down the man described as 'public enemy number one'. But a source close to the case said Amra was 'always one step ahead'. Public prosecutor Laure Beccuau confirmed the Frenchman had been holed up in the city of Compiegne, then headed further north to Rouen before making his way to eastern Europe. A network of accomplices suspected of helping finance the escape, including a childhood friend of Amra and rapper Koba LaD, allegedly aided the fugitive stay off the authorities' radar. Even so, 'the net gradually closed in', said Beccuau, with the escapee arrested by Romanian authorities nine months after his getaway. Authorities then intensified the search for those who aided him in his escape from France to the eastern European country, arresting more than three dozen alleged accomplices. Advertisement Among those arrested are the six suspected attackers in the May 2024 assault found as far afield as Thailand, Morocco and Spain – one of whom died in an accident in November. But a lawyer for one of the accused said there are 'real doubts' about their involvement, with some 'categorically denying the charges'. As for Amra, his lawyer said, 'no one can claim to know his role'. 'The fact that he benefited from the escape doesn't necessarily mean he planned it or knew what methods would be used,' said Lucas Montagnier. In February, Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin promised the creation of 'prison police' units and a 'high security prison', in response to concerns that it has become too easy for convicted criminals to continue their business despite being locked up, thanks notably to mobile phone access. Advertisement Amra was suspected of ordering hits from prison, including in the months leading up to his breakout, when a close associate warned that La Mouche was giving someone called 'A' a week to pay a debt. In late April, lawmakers approved a new bill to combat drug-related crime, with some of France's most dangerous drug traffickers facing being locked up in high-security units in prison in the coming months. The high-security units are designed to limit the capacity to continue their criminal activity behind bars, but lawyers have raised concerns about defendants' rights.
The Independent
23-02-2025
- The Independent
French prisoner The Fly arrested nine months after van escape
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.
