The 30-year-old has 13 convictions and has been on the run since the fatal attack on the van in which he was travelling, in which two prison officers were killed. Interpol issued a Red Notice for him on Wednesday

‘Mohamed Amra, nicknamed “La Mouche” (The Fly), the prisoner who escaped during the fatal attack on a prison van at the Incarville toll plaza in the Eure region, is still being actively sought. Interpol issued a red notice for him on Wednesday 15 May. This wanted persons notice was circulated to the 196 member countries of the international criminal police organisation, facilitating his possible arrest abroad with a view to extradition. The notice also provides a physical description of the fugitive: around 1.80 m tall, with dark brown eyes, wavy brown hair and a beard.

Born on 10 March 1994 in Rouen (Seine-Maritime), Mohamed Amra, who has 13 previous convictions, first came into conflict with the law at the age of 15 in October 2009. Yacine Arab, founder of the Espoirs Jeunes association, knew him at the time and describes him as a hyperactive teenager. His criminal record has since grown considerably, with a total of thirteen convictions to date, mainly for property offences, including aggravated burglary, according to Paris public prosecutor Laure Beccuau at a press conference on Tuesday evening.

The ‘profile’ of organised crime

Mohamed Amra has been in prison since 7 January 2022, when he was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment by the Rouen Court of Appeal for various offences, including burglary, criminal conspiracy to commit a crime, extortion by a masked person and organised gang theft. His most recent conviction dates back to 7 May, when he was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment by the Evreux Criminal Court for aggravated burglary. He is also on remand for more serious charges, including attempted murder and extortion, as well as crimes committed in Aubagne, Bouches-du-Rhône. As a result of these charges, he has been under investigation since 26 January 2022 and 26 September 2023 respectively.

Associated with organised crime, Mohamed Amra is also involved in drug-related cases, although his criminal record does not include any drug-related convictions, according to prosecutor Laure Beccuau.’

Could he have more to do with drug trafficking than we think?

Mohamed Amra, who is under investigation in two separate cases, was being heard by the examining magistrate a few hours before the fatal attack. He is accused of attempted extortion with a weapon, attempted murder and possession of a category B weapon, charges for which he has been under investigation since 26 January 2022. According to the Paris public prosecutor, he is suspected of having opened fire at the home of the victim of the extortion in Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray in October 2021.

Since 26 September 2023, Mohamed Amra has also been under investigation in another case in Marseille. This time, he is charged with complicity in premeditated murder in an organised gang, complicity in kidnapping and hostage-taking with a view to conditional execution, complicity in destruction by dangerous means in an organised gang, and participation in a criminal association with a view to committing a crime in Aubagne.

In addition, a source close to the investigation revealed that Mohamed Amra was also involved in a drug trafficking case, although no conviction in this respect appears on his criminal record.

Prior to the attack on the prison van, Mohamed Amra had attempted to escape from his cell at the Évreux prison, as Emmanuel Baudin, General Secretary of FO Penitentiary, confirmed to H24 MEDIA. This abortive escape has raised questions as to whether Mohamed Amra could have organised his fatal escape from his cell. Hugues Vivier, the suspect’s lawyer, suggested that the operation could have been carried out without Mohamed Amra’s knowledge, in order to avoid any signs that might alert the authorities. He also raised the possibility that someone had come for Mohamed Amra to keep him under control or to make him pay for his alleged actions.