Mohamed Amra

Amra was born on 10 March 1994 in Rouen, the capital of Normandy to Algerian parents. He grew up in the Sandpit council estate of the city. == Criminal career ==

Amra grew up in a troubled environment and ended up engaging in criminal activities. From the age of 11 to 14, he was charged nineteen times with "carrying a prohibited weapon", "theft by trickery", extortion, drug trafficking and criminal conspiracy, among other counts. The cases were all closed without further action from the state. He was first convicted of a crime in October 2009 at the age of 15. Since then, he has garnered 13 convictions for robbery, extortion, criminal conspiracy, armed violence, and other crimes. In January 2022, he was jailed in Évreux prison to serve several sentences for these convictions. Police and prosecutors have suspected Amra of heading a narcotics network and holding significant links to organized crime groups in Marseille; however, none of his convictions are drug-related. Among his convictions are an attempted murder charge. However, his lawyer, Hugues Vivier, has disputed these accusations. On 7 May 2024, Amra was detained at the Val de Reuil prison after he was found guilty for burglary and given a prison sentence of 18 months. He required high security during transfers despite not being seen as a high-risk inmate, with his escorts initially consisting of three guards but later being increased to five. Amra attempted to escape detention by sawing through his prison cell's bars and using tape to conceal it, but was caught by guards and placed in solitary confinement as a result. == Escape ==

On 14 May 2024, Amra was being transported to Évreux prison following a court hearing in Rouen. At 10:57 a.m, the convoy was ambushed at the Incarville tollbooth on the A154 freeway, southeast of Rouen. began to open fire at the convoy with automatic rifles. Between 30 and 40 shots were fired at the guards, who were armed with SIG Sauer handguns. One of the gunmen fired a double tap shot into a victim's head to confirm their death. Right-wing politicians said that the incident showed that the centrist French government could not control drug crime and compared France to other nations with rampant gang violence. Centre-right opposition leader Bruno Retailleau said, "We're on a path to Mexicanisation," while far-right Marion Marechal offered condolences to the guards and said that the ambush gave France the impression of being in a third-world country. == Manhunt ==

More than 450 police officers and gendarmes were deployed in Eure to take part in the manhunt for Amra and the gunmen who freed him. Roadblocks were set up in northwestern France. There are fears that he will attempt to cross the border into the Maghreb or Spain, according to gendarme general Jacques Morel. On the third day of the search, Darmanin said that over 350 investigators were mobilized to participate. French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal vowed to find and punish the gang, saying they would "pay for what they have done," and President Emmanuel Macron threatened that their treatment would be "uncompromising." Darmanin said that unprecedented efforts were being taken to ensure the gang's arrest. Interpol issued a red notice for Amra, formally requesting international police to locate and arrest him, despite having dyed his hair red to avoid detection. He was extradited to France on 25 February. On 24 March, French authorities detained 24 people for questioning as a part of an inquiry into Amra's escape, including rapper Koba LaD, who was already in prison awaiting trial due to a fatal car accident in 2024. On 24 July 2025, Amra was transferred to . == Footnotes ==