NewsDramatic Daylight Jailbreak: Notorious Drug Dealer Escapes in Gunfight
Dramatic Daylight Jailbreak: Notorious Drug Dealer Escapes in Gunfight
Manhunt in France. Who is the captured bandit Mohamed Arma?
Images source: © Getty Images5:41 AM EDT, May 15, 2024
Masked and armed with machine guns, criminals orchestrated the daring escape of Mohamed Amra from a prison transport on May 14. Known in the criminal underworld as "Mucha," Amra and his associates are now the targets of a nationwide manhunt across France. It is alleged that he has ties to a drug syndicate in Marseille.
The ambush on the transport carrying Mohamed Amra occurred in broad daylight on the outskirts of Rouen, in northern France. The violent exchange resulted in the tragic death of three guards and left four individuals wounded.
The liberated prisoner, a drug dealer known as "Mucha," was convicted four days earlier, on May 10, for burglary. The Prosecutor's Office in Marseille is also pursuing charges against him for a kidnapping that tragically ended in the victim's death.
According to prosecutor Laura Beccuau, Amra was not considered "a highly monitored prisoner," though he was under the escort of five officers.
Amra's history of escape attempts
"Mucha's" attempt to escape scrutiny came to light when his lawyer, Hugues Vigier, informed French media that his client had made a previous escape attempt over the weekend by cutting through the bars of his cell, only to be apprehended. The lawyer expressed his astonishment at the "unforgivable" and "crazy" level of violence exhibited by his client.
"Mucha's" criminal background
The fugitive's mother also shared insights with the media, painting a picture of her son's life as a continual battle with the law. She was unaware of any plans he might have had to escape, having visited him in several prisons. The news of the shooting left her in disbelief.
"I broke down, I cried," she told RTL television.
According to reports from BFM TV, the 30-year-old has already been sentenced 13 times, primarily for minor offences such as driving without a license, theft, and eluding police.
The gangster's "career" development
His recent activities and potential involvement in the kidnapping and murder of a man from Dreux near Rouen indicate that "Mucha" has evolved from a petty troublemaker to a hardcore criminal. The police and prosecutor's office believe his kidnapping is connected to drug trafficking in Marseille, demonstrating his integration into the French criminal underworld, as evidenced by the bloody effort to free him from custody.
Police statistics reveal that, in the previous year alone, Marseille saw 50 individuals lose their lives in drug-related shootings.