PARIS – A fugitive French prisoner who urged an international hunt after a fatal escape nine months ago was arrested in Romania on Saturday, the French government said.
French Minister of Home Affairs Bruno Reciro said, “We thank all the troops who allowed Mohamed Amra to be arrested in Romania today.
Two security guards were killed when armed assailants helped Amra escape from a Normandy prison convoy last May, prompting him to make a famous search.
Amra, 30, fled after being pronounced in the robbery of the Normandy town of Evreux. He is also under investigation for the inviting an organized attempted murder and death, prosecutors said. Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau says Amra is suspected of having ties to the Marseille organized crime syndicate and leading a drug trafficking network.
According to prosecutors, Amra’s first crime occurred between the ages of 11 and 14. The nickname, called “La Mouche” (Fly), has also been featured in other aliases such as “Yanis”, “Momo”, and “Schtroumpf” (Smurf).
Amra’s escape and violent history have made him a symbol of the challenges French law enforcement face in combating organized crime and ensuring the safety of high-risk prisoners.
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