No sign of French convict six months after deadly ambush on prison van

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A French convict accused of running a major drug ring disappeared without a trace after an armed attack left two prison guards dead in May. Six months later, Mohamed Amra and the gunmen who freed him are still at large.

In the 185 days since assailants armed with military-grade assault weapons attacked a prison van in the northern Normandy region, authorities leading a manhunt for Amra and those involved in the ambush have been left empty-handed.

It was initially believed that Amra had been rescued from custody by allies, but in a new twist, some sources who spoke to AFP said it could not be ruled out that he had been kidnapped by rivals.

The gunmen killed two officers transporting the 30-year-old prisoner, reportedly known as “La Mouche” (The Fly), who has a long history of convictions for violent crimes starting when he was just 15.

Despite reassurance from authorities that his recapture was only a matter of time, others within the justice system say authorities bungled the operation.

“Even if we arrest Amra, it will still be a failure,” said an investigating magistrate, who asked not to be named, adding that he should have been captured “within a month” of his escape.

And for the families of the officers killed in the attack — the first to die in the line of duty since 1992 — the wait seems interminable.

Politicians reacted quickly to Amra’s escape, with French President Emmanuel Macron calling for an “uncompromising” response in May and then-Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin calling the attackers “public enemy number one”.

At the time of his escape, Amra was facing two new charges, one for attempted murder and one for participating in a killing spree in a gang area in the southern city of Marseille on the French Riviera, a center for drug trafficking and gang violence.

For some, the case is reminiscent of that of Redoine Faid, a career criminal nicknamed the “escape king,” who escaped from a French prison via a hijacked helicopter before being caught free after 94 days.

“The teams are fully mobilized,” the Paris prosecutor’s office said, adding that releasing information would “only jeopardize the investigation.”

However, authorities also said there was “nothing new to report.”

Several investigating magistrates following the case say they are shocked by the lack of progress.

“It’s a slap in the face,” said a magistrate who did not want to be named.

So far no trace of those involved has been made public, with the issuance of Interpol’s red notice – a request for security forces around the world to arrest Amra – seen as an acknowledgment that they may have fled France.

“I hope he is abroad,” said another investigating judge who asked not to be identified. “Otherwise we’ll do really poorly.”

Official police sources declined to comment when contacted by AFP, but one person who requested anonymity pushed back against complaints that the search was moving too slowly.

“Just because you didn’t catch someone quickly doesn’t mean you failed,” a police source said, adding: “we need to let the investigation take its course.”

Investigators have “laid traps everywhere” for Amra, hoping he will slip up and make a mistake, said another police source who asked not to be identified.

“In time, he will make one,” they added, explaining that Amra could have significant financial resources that could keep him on the run indefinitely.

For some, the delay is evidence that the prisoner did not escape but was abducted by the gunmen, with an investigating magistrate suggesting the attack was carried out by “subcontractors”.

This theory is not new: Amra’s lawyer told the BFMTV broadcaster in May that he was “stunned” by the incident.

There was, the lawyer suggested, “another possible explanation” for the attack, a scenario in which Amra was kidnapped by the gunmen who “did not come to free him, but to hold him and make him pay for what they think he has done”.

Meanwhile, authorities are trying to understand how the 30-year-old’s escape unfolded.

A mid-August report from the French Ministry of Justice pointed to a “lack” of communication between the various judicial and prison authorities and investigators.

The wife of Arnaud Garcia – one of the two prison guards killed – just wants to regain confidence in the justice system.

“We know that the courts and the police are doing their utmost,” said Mary Garcia’s attorney, Pauline Ragot.

But after six months without news, “she sometimes loses hope,” the lawyer added.

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