Well-known French absconder, who notoriously broke out of prison last year, was brought in front of a Romanian court this Sunday. A nine-month-long international law enforcement search finally ended with his capture in the heart of Bucharest. The man in question, Mohamed Amra, sported striking red hair which could have been an attempt to mask his real identity. As he was paraded in and out of the courthouse under police custody, he was seen grinning widely at the spectators.
Amra wasn’t the only one facing legal repercussions. A total of ten individuals from Amra’s circle were apprehended during the dark hours, implicating them in the planning and execution of last year’s daring escape. They were also accused of assisting Amra in lying low after he successfully fled the facility.
Previously, the infamous escape had resulted in a deadly tragedy when two prison guards were fatally struck down. This occurred when Amra’s armed associates abetted his breakaway from an escorted prison convoy moving through Normandy in the month of May.
The international criminal police organization, Interpol, had subsequently released a notice seeking his detainment. When indications arose that Amra had fled beyond French borders, French investigative agencies shared information with their counterparts in numerous other countries.
The breakthrough came when Romanian law enforcement officers successfully identified the escapee and apprehended him on a Saturday near a bustling shopping complex. Having him in custody, the Romanian judiciary now stands to decide whether or not they will extradite him to face justice back in France.
Evidence showcasing his bold altering of hair color didn’t deter the identification process. The identification was properly affirmed using advanced biometric techniques such as facial recognition and comparison of fingerprints.
Amra, now 30, earned the nickname ‘The Fly’ for his elusive maneuvers. After being pronounced guilty for a burglary incident in the town of Evreux located in Normandy, he decided to make his infamous flight.
But his criminal conduct isn’t just restrained to burglary. He is also on the suspect list for an attempted orderly homicide and a kidnapping case culminating in a fatal outcome.
According to the Paris prosecutor, several threads connected Amra to the organized crime syndicates operating out of Marseille. Furthering the list of accusations, Amra is suspected of leading a complex network engaged in the illicit drug trade.