Drug trafficker Mohamed Amra, on the run since his deadly escape, arrested in Romania

Mohamed Amra, nicknamed “La Mouche” (The Fly), was arrested on Saturday, February 22, 2025, in a residential neighborhood of Bucharest, Romania. Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau announced the arrest on X, praising the decisive cooperation of Romanian authorities and the efforts of French law enforcement.

A bloody escape that shocked France

The fugitive had been wanted since his escape on May 14, 2024, during a violent attack on a prison van at the Incarville toll station (Eure). The armed commando killed two officers and injured three others to free Amra, who was being transferred to Évreux prison.

Convicted 15 times for theft and traffic offenses, Amra was also indicted for serious crimes: complicity in premeditated murder as part of an organized gang, kidnapping, hostage-taking, destruction by dangerous means, and extortion. Just days before his escape, he had tried to saw through his cell bars, leading to placement in a disciplinary unit. Nevertheless, he was not classified as a high-surveillance inmate.

A nine-month international manhunt

After the escape, a red notice was issued by Interpol to aid in his location. The manhunt lasted nine months, mobilizing investigators from the Central Office for the Fight Against Organized Crime and their Romanian counterparts, who finally tracked him down in early February.

Emmanuel Macron hailed the arrest as “a tremendous success” and paid tribute to the officers killed during the attack. Prime Minister François Bayrou and Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin also praised law enforcement for bringing one of the country’s most wanted fugitives to justice.

Towards extradition and a highly anticipated trial

France will now initiate proceedings to secure Amra’s extradition and try him for all the crimes he is accused of.