Latest news with #MohamedAmra
Malay Mail
3 days ago
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Sun, sand and suspects: How Spain seduces fugitive criminals
MADRID, May 28 — With its sun-drenched beaches and vibrant nightlife, Spain has long been a top destination — not just for tourists, but also for criminals looking to vanish. From drug traffickers to sex offenders and cybercriminals, fugitives from around the globe flock to Spain's coastal havens. That gamble rarely pays off: police stress that their chances of evading justice are slim. 'We're arresting new people every day,' said Fernando Gonzalez, the head of an elite Spanish police unit set up in 2004 to hunt down criminals on the run. 'Spain remains a very attractive place for traffickers,' he added. Last year, his unit arrested 460 fugitives — mostly foreigners — across Spain, up from 390 in 2023. The pace has not slowed this year. Recent high-profile arrests underscore the European country's ongoing appeal to fugitives. In October 2024, police in Barcelona arrested Serbian national Nikola Vusovic, a suspected leader of a major crime gang from Montenegro, the Kavac clan. At the start of this year, officers arrested the leader of a brutal Peruvian mafia group, Omar Luis Castaneda, near the Mediterranean city of Alicante over his suspected involvement in 16 murders in the Latin American country. And in February, police in southern Spain arrested one of the gunmen who in 2024 ambushed a prison van in France to free a drug lord, Mohamed Amra, killing two prison guards. The fugitive was living in a luxury villa at the time. 'We deal with a wide range of profiles,' from major criminals to petty offenders, as well as a wide range of nationalities, Gonzalez said as he scanned the latest list of arrests, which included Moroccans, French nationals and a growing number of Latin Americans. 'Blend in' Spain's role as a haven for those trying to evade justice is 'historic', a French investigator told AFP on condition of anonymity. 'It's not just a hideout for fugitives... it's also home to career criminals who operate between Morocco, Spain and France.' Spain is home to a large number of expatriates and is the world's second-most-visited country, having welcomed a record 94 million foreign tourists last year, which makes it easier for fugitives to go unnoticed. With its sun-drenched beaches and vibrant nightlife, Spain has long been a top destination — not just for tourists, but also for criminals looking to vanish. — AFP pic 'It's a place with a high quality of life. It's easy to rent quiet villas with swimming pools. People blend in,' the French investigator said. Criminal defence lawyer and former extradition judge Carlos Bautista said Spain's location 'at the crossroads' of Europe, the Americas and Africa makes it a natural hiding spot for runaway criminals. Gonzalez said fugitives can often easily find 'contacts who can help' them among the large community of foreigners who live in Spain. He cited as an example the case of a German woman who was arrested in the Balearic Islands where she had lived for years without speaking Spanish. 'Cat-and-mouse game' - Most fugitives are found along Spain's Mediterranean coast where expat communities are concentrated. Malaga and Marbella on the Costa del Sol, which has long been a popular destination for British expats and tourists, are top picks for criminals on the run, said Bautista. Laying low on the coast does not guarantee safety — these are regions with some of the highest arrest rates. Members of Spanish Guardia Civil, supported by Europol, arrest a man during an operation against drug trafficking in Mijas, near Malaga June 12, 2024. — AFP pic 'It's a cat-and-mouse game. But we usually find them. It just takes patience,' said Gonzalez. Police credit wiretaps, monitoring social media and, above all, close international cooperation for their success. Through ENFAST, a network of police officers from across Europe who work together to locate internationally wanted criminals, Spain has become a leader in cross-border arrests. 'Spain is extremely active in extraditions. Sooner or later, fugitives get caught,' said Bautista. The walls of Gonzalez's elite police unit are lined with mugshots and mementos from years of operations. 'There may be fugitives living quietly among us. But that doesn't mean they will escape forever,' he said. — AFP
CTV News
3 days ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Sun, sand and suspects: Spain seduces fugitive criminals
Tourists sunbathe on the beach at the Spanish Balearic Island of Mallorca, Spain, Monday, June 7, 2021. (AP Photo/Francisco Ubilla) Madrid, Spain -- With its sun-drenched beaches and vibrant nightlife, Spain has long been a top destination -- not just for tourists, but also for criminals looking to vanish. From drug traffickers to sex offenders and cybercriminals, fugitives from around the globe flock to Spain's coastal havens. That gamble rarely pays off: police stress that their chances of evading justice are slim. 'We're arresting new people every day,' said Fernando Gonzalez, the head of an elite Spanish police unit set up in 2004 to hunt down criminals on the run. 'Spain remains a very attractive place for traffickers,' he added. Last year, his unit arrested 460 fugitives -- mostly foreigners -- across Spain, up from 390 in 2023. The pace has not slowed this year. Recent high-profile arrests underscore the European country's ongoing appeal to fugitives. In October 2024, police in Barcelona arrested Serbian national Nikola Vusovic, a suspected leader of a major crime gang from Montenegro, the Kavac clan. At the start of this year, officers arrested the leader of a brutal Peruvian mafia group, Omar Luis Castaneda, near the Mediterranean city of Alicante over his suspected involvement in 16 murders in the Latin American country. And in February, police in southern Spain arrested one of the gunmen who in 2024 ambushed a prison van in France to free a drug lord, Mohamed Amra, killing two prison guards. The fugitive was living in a luxury villa at the time. 'We deal with a wide range of profiles,' from major criminals to petty offenders, as well as a wide range of nationalities, Gonzalez said as he scanned the latest list of arrests, which included Moroccans, French nationals and a growing number of Latin Americans. 'Blend in' Spain's role as a haven for those trying to evade justice is 'historic,' a French investigator told AFP on condition of anonymity. 'It's not just a hideout for fugitives... it's also home to career criminals who operate between Morocco, Spain and France.' Spain is home to a large number of expatriates and is the world's second-most-visited country, having welcomed a record 94 million foreign tourists last year, which makes it easier for fugitives to go unnoticed. 'It's a place with a high quality of life. It's easy to rent quiet villas with swimming pools. People blend in,' the French investigator said. Criminal defence lawyer and former extradition judge Carlos Bautista said Spain's location 'at the crossroads' of Europe, the Americas and Africa makes it a natural hiding spot for runaway criminals. Gonzalez said fugitives can often easily find 'contacts who can help' them among the large community of foreigners who live in Spain. He cited as an example the case of a German woman who was arrested in the Balearic Islands where she had lived for years without speaking Spanish. 'Cat-and-mouse game' Most fugitives are found along Spain's Mediterranean coast where expat communities are concentrated. Malaga and Marbella on the Costa del Sol, which has long been a popular destination for British expats and tourists, are top picks for criminals on the run, said Bautista. Laying low on the coast does not guarantee safety -- these are regions with some of the highest arrest rates. 'It's a cat-and-mouse game. But we usually find them. It just takes patience,' said Gonzalez. Police credit wiretaps, monitoring social media and, above all, close international cooperation for their success. Through ENFAST, a network of police officers from across Europe who work together to locate internationally wanted criminals, Spain has become a leader in cross-border arrests. 'Spain is extremely active in extraditions. Sooner or later, fugitives get caught,' said Bautista. The walls of Gonzalez's elite police unit are lined with mugshots and mementos from years of operations. 'There may be fugitives living quietly among us. But that doesn't mean they will escape forever,' he said. By Valentin Bontemps, AFP
Arab News
14-05-2025
- Arab News
How escaped French drug kingpin evaded capture for months
His escape left two prison officers dead and triggered a massive manhunt for the escaped convict dubbed 'la Mouche'A network of accomplices suspected of organizing the escape, including a childhood friend of Amra and rapper Koba LaD, allegedly helped the fugitive stay off the authorities' radarPARIS: Managing to stay 'one step ahead' of investigators, drug trafficker Mohamed Amra evaded capture for nine months following a deadly jail break one year ago that shocked escape left two prison officers dead and triggered a massive manhunt for the escaped convict dubbed 'la Mouche' (The Fly).On the run for nine months, he was re-arrested only in February, near a shopping center in Romania's capital, Bucharest, then extradited to the one-year anniversary of the attack, French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday paid tribute to the first prison officers killed in France in the line of duty since 1992, visiting the site of the attack and highlighting new measures in France's push to combat organized May 14, 2024, a car crashed head-on into a prison van at a toll booth in France's northern Normandy later, a second car pulled up and four armed men jumped out, killing prison officers Arnaud Garcia and Fabrice Moello and leaving three others the time of the deadly ambush, Amra already had a long history of convictions for violent crimes that started when he was only the assailants whisked the 30-year-old Normandy native into a waiting vehicle, French authorities launched a massive operation 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 that the Frenchman had been holed up in the city of Compiegne, then headed further north to Rouen before eventually making his way to eastern Europe.A network of accomplices suspected of organizing the escape, including a childhood friend of Amra and rapper Koba LaD, allegedly helped the fugitive stay off the authorities' so, 'the net gradually closed in,' said Beccuau, with the escapee arrested by Romanian authorities nine months after his 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 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 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 accompanied by Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau and Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin, visited several sites on Wednesday underlining the country's push to clamp down on drug trafficking, including the headquarters of a new anti-organized crime taskforce, EMCO and the site of the May 2024 late April, lawmakers approved a major 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 was suspected of ordering hits from prison, including in the months leading up to his breakout, when a close associate issued a warning that 'the Fly' was giving someone called 'A' a week to pay up, or else.A high-security prison in the northern Pas-de-Calais region is expected to house the 100 most dangerous drug traffickers beginning in late these measures, 'the Republic is now putting all its resources' into ensuring that an escape like that of Mohamed Amra 'never happens again,' Darmanin said on Tuesday on broadcaster France 2.A plaque was also unveiled, honoring the two prison officers.
Euronews
24-03-2025
- Euronews
Individuals suspected of helping drug lord Mohamed Amra escape prison detained
ADVERTISEMENT Twenty-four individuals suspected of helping French drug dealer Mohamed Amra escape from police custody in May 2024 were detained on Monday, according to reports by French broadcaster FranceInfo. This latest development marks the fourth wave of detentions since Amra, who became France's most wanted fugitive during his nine months on the run, was arrested in Romania last month. Since his arrest, Amra has been held at the ultra-high security Condé-sur-Sarthe prison, which is located in Normandy. According to French media, two individuals were detained in Germany, while the remaining 22 were apprehended by police in France. To date, 27 individuals, as well as Amra himself, have been indicted by magistrates at the Paris Judicial Court. Mohamed Amra is brought handcuffed by police officers at the Court of Appeals in Bucharest, 23 February, 2025 AP Photo Koba LaD, a 24-year-old rapper with more than three million followers on Instagram, is reportedly one of the suspects in police custody. Amra and Koba LaD are believed to have crossed paths in 2023, when they shared a cell at the Santé Prison in Paris. Several members of the rapper's entourage who are affiliated with the so-called 'Black Manjak Family', a criminal organisation based in Normandy, which specialises in drug trafficking, have already been indicted in the case. The individuals are suspected of having assisted Amra with a range of things, from helping him hide in an apartment in the town of Rouen, to preparing the ambush on his transfer van and assisting his escape to Romania by car. Amra's escape from police custody was a violent one; armed men ambushed a prison convoy in Normandy, killing two guards and injuring three others.
Euronews
26-02-2025
- Euronews
Notorious fugitive 'The Fly' extradited to France after arrest in Romania
Mohamed Amra, a French fugitive whose prison escape killed two guards last year, was arrested in Romania's Bucharest and was extradited to France on Tuesday. The 30-year-old, who has been dubbed as 'The Fly', was arrested near a shopping centre in the capital, ending a nine-month international manhunt. After a reporter asked "Are you happy to return to France?", Amra, who had dyed his hair orange, possibly to evade detection, simply replied with "I love you, Mum, that's all." The search began last year in May, when Amra managed to escape after armed men ambushed a prison convoy in Normandy. The incident killed two guards, including the driver, and seriously injured three others. Amra had been sentenced for burglarly in the Normandy town of Evreux, and was additionally suspected of heading a drug trafficking network. He was also under investigation for an attempted organised homicide and a kidnapping that resulted in death, French prosecutors said. After his escape, international police organisation Interpol issued a notice for his arrest and French investigators warned their counterparts in other countries after they suspected Amra had fled France. How was Amra arrested? Investigators had tapped Amra's phone, and discovered roughly two weeks ago that he was preparing to leave for Romania, where the 30-year-old had rented an apartment in the north of Bucharest for six months. From the 8th of February, the Romanian police closely surveilled the security cameras monitoring the residence. On Saturday, Amra left his home for the first time and was shortly after arrested by special forces. A Romanian police spokesperson said the 30-year-old had arrived into the country with car that had French number plates, and was accompanied by an Albanian driver. "He kept a low profile. They bought him provisions and water, and gave him some money," he added. French President Emmanuel Macron called his capture as a 'formidable success' and praised European colleagues who had ended the long cross-border hunt. Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau thanked all the forces invovled in Mohamed Amra's arrest in Romania. "Mohamed Amra is back in France and incarcerated under strict surveillance. He will have to answer for his actions," he wrote on X. Amra's court-appointed lawyer, Maria Marcu, claimed her client is not guilty. "My client wants to prove his innocence. He is not guilty of what happened. And that's why he wants to go before the French authorities as soon as possible," she said.
