Prison Break in France: Mohammed the Fly Escapes, 2 Prison Guards Killed

Deadly prison van attack: Masked gunmen ambush police convoy in France before freeing 'narco boss' dubbed 'The Fly' and shooting dead two guards

Mohammed Amra: The escaped inmate known as The Fly

• The prison van was attacked near the Incarville tollbooth, Normandy 
• Escaped inmate Mohammed Amra has a past conviction for attempted murder
• Manhunt is launched 
• Prison van was first rammed from the front by a black car after leaving the toll booth
• Then there was a shootout and then The Fly ran away

The moment a black car rammed into a French police van at the Incarville tollbooth, Normandy

Several masked assailants jumped out of the car armed with Kalashnikovs, before opening fire at the van

Then there was an explosion, giving the assailants and freed detainee the cover to run off and escape the scene 

Masked gunmen ambushed a prison van at a French tollbooth before shooting dead two guards and freeing a 'narco boss' dubbed 'The Fly' before fleeing on foot.

The masked group stood their ground while other vehicles drove by as the altercation spiraled into a more violent and bloody scenario.

A number of officers eventually climbed out of the van as the gunfire continued.

The assailants surrounded the van, guns in hand, before sliding open a van door and releasing The Fly from the back.

After just a few seconds, The Fly, along with the assailants, ran off.

A witness who was was on board a bus at the A13 toll saw panicked passengers yelling as gunshots fired in the background.

'There were gunshots and a big panic on board from the bus, there is a car on fire,' the passenger wrote.

One confused traveller can be heard asking: 'What is going on?' before another declares: 'They are shooting'.

As the confusion continues to rise, the passengers question whether it is the police making the racket, or something more sinister.

'No, it's not the police,' one said, to which another bus rider responded: 'Oh f***'.

The prison van was attacked on the A154 motorway near the Incarville tollbooth, located in the town of Val-de-Reuil, Normandy, northern France.

Two French guards were killed, and two others were left wounded, following the attack which saw the assailants and detainee, Mohammed Amra, 30, managing to escape the scene.

The inmate, nicknamed 'La Mouche' (The Fly), was being transported between the towns of Rouen and Evreux in Normandy before the bloodbath unfolded. 

Amra's latest conviction was for burglary, and he also has a past conviction for attempted murder.

He was the head of a narcotics network in France, and considered highly dangerous.

Two prison officers were shot dead after four gunmen ambushed their vehicle at the Incarville tollbooth, located in the town of Val-de-Reuil, Normandy, northern France

The attack saw the assailants and narco boss detainee, Mohammed Amra, 30, managing to escape the scene 

Masked and armed  gunmen ambushed the police vehicle at the French tollbooth before freeing Amra

Police officers gather at the site of the deadly attack in Normandy

Mohammed had attempted to escape his cell just two days earlier.

He was placed in solitary confinement and his surveillance level was raised to 'Escort 3'. 

Amra, who had a total of 13 convictions to his name, was under ‘special surveillance’, said Éric Dupond-Moretti, France’s justice minister.

At the time of the attack, Amra was on his way from Évreux prison to court for a committal hearing that would have been made public. This would have made the route relatively easy to work out.

Prosecutors working for the National Jurisdiction for the Fight against Organised Crime (JUNALCO) have opened an enquiry into ‘murder and attempted murder by an organised gang’ – offences punishable with a life sentence.

They are also investigating ‘escape in an organised gang’, ‘acquisition and possession of weapons of war’ and ‘criminal association with a view to the commission of a crime,’ said Moretti.

Laure Beccuau, the Paris public prosecutor, confirmed that Amra had previously been indicted by the Specialised Inter-regional Jurisdiction (JIRS) of Marseille for ‘kidnapping and sequestration leading to death’.  

The two guards killed were identified as agents from the Regional Centre for Judicial Extractions (PREJ), based in Caen.

One was a 21-year-old father of two who leaves a widow, and the other an expectant father whose wife was five months pregnant.

Moretti, said the wounded guards were all in a ‘life threatening’ condition.

The prisoner and gang members initially escaped in two cars – an Audi A5 and a BMW 5 series.

According to local reports, the white Audi A5 was found ablaze in nearby Vatteville, Eure.

French authorities  towing away the burnt-out white Audi used in the inmate's escape 

Amra was being transported between the towns of Rouen and Evreux in Normandy before the bloodbath unfolded at the Incarville tollbooth

A forensic is at work at the site of the ramming attack which took place late morning at a road toll in Incarville in the Eure region of northern France

Emergency services were spotted at the tollbooth this morning after the ambush that saw two French officers killed

A fire engine also arrived on the scene 

A local police source said: 'The ambush happened at the Incarville toll booth on the A154 road. Kalashnikovs are thought to be have been used.

'Two prison officers are dead, and three others are seriously wounded.

'A detainee known for cases linked to drug trafficking escaped with a gang made up of around four men.'

Alexandre Rassaërt, president of the Eure Departmental Council, which covers Vale-de-Reuil, said: 'I was frozen with horror when I learned of the carnage that took place at the Incarville tollbooth.

'I sincerely hope that the gang of killers who carried out this bloody attack will be quickly arrested.'

'I also think of all the prison administration guards who, every day, guard prisoners at the risk of their lives.'

French President Emmanuel Macron also spoke out following the horror van attack.

'This morning's attack, which cost the lives of prison administration agents, is a shock for all of us,' he wrote on X.

'Everything is being done to find the perpetrators of this crime so that justice can be done in the name of the French people. We will be intractable.'

Following the ambush, the road has been closed by police for an 'indefinite period'.

Footage posted online showed emergency services gathered at the tollbooth.

A fire engine was also filmed pulling up just metres away from the chaotic scene.  

The Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, announced, on X, that a plan had been launched to locate the escapees.

'All means are being used to find these criminals. On my instructions, several hundred police officers and gendarmes are mobilized ,' he said. 

Deputy mayor of Vendée, Veronique Besse, took to X, formerly Twitter, to express her 'shock' towards the incident.

I am deeply shocked & saddened by the scene of war against a convoy of the prison administration at #Incarville, which cost the lives of several agents,' she wrote. 

'Every day, unspeakable acts of barbarity strike our country to the great indifference of our leaders. I send my sincere condolences to the families and loved ones affected'.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13416219/guards-shot-dead-prison-ambush-gunman-attack-french-tollbooth-inmate-run.html

'Narco boss' lawyer's shock at violent scenes

The lawyer of the man who escaped following the ramraid in Normandy says he was shocked by the 'inexcusable' and 'insane' violence used.

Mohamed Amra's lawyer Hugues Vigier said Amra had already made an escape attempt at the weekend by sawing the bars of his cell.

'This does not correspond to the impression that I had of him,' the lawyer told French TV channel BFMTV.

In further remarks reported by the BBC, Mr Vigier added: 'This violence is unimaginable. My assistant saw Mr Amra this morning.

'A short meeting, about an hour long was planned for this morning and my assistant saw Mr Amra and he was perfectly normal.

'I would like to believe that he didn’t know about the plan to free him. That would not change the tragedy that took place but as lawyer I want to believe he didn’t plan this escape.

'If he’s behind today’s escape he’s a much bigger criminal than what’s he’s been convicted for until now.'

French cops stood 'little chance against heavy weapons'

Yoan Karar of the FO Justice Union said 'this is a dark day for prison officers' as he revealed the dead officers were from the 'PREJ' - the centre for judicial extractions.

Despite the fact that prison vans possess electronic toll tags to drive straight through, 'they often have to slow down and the barrier is a weak spot'.

'Every day we escort inmates from one establishment to another or to the courthouse to be presented to a judge and unfortunately today one of these teams from the PREJ in Caen was attacked by a heavily-armed team,' he told French broadcaster BFMTV.

Two of injured three prison officers in critical condition

We are awaiting further details of the three prison officers left seriously injured following the attack earlier.

But one line we can bring you is that French justice minister said two of the guards are understood to be in a critical condition.

A new picture taken by AFP shows multiple bullet holes in the van's windscreen following the ambush by masked gunmen.

Two of the five guards were shot dead.

Witness - 'I heard lots of gunshots, big booms too'

A female eyewitness who was travelling on a bus near the prison van at the time of the attack said passengers ducked as "lots of gunshots" were fired.

Speaking to the Le Parisien newspaper, the woman said 'everyone was very scared' as one passenger got behind the wheel of the bus to reverse it away from the scene.

I still had my headphones in my ears, and suddenly I see that everyone is ducking down on the bus and everyone is going to the back, I took off my headphones and I heard lots of gunshots, big booms too.

Footage from another passenger was captured from the bus which shows two masked gunmen aiming their weapons, believed to be Kalashnikov rifles.

Manhunt involves hundreds of police officers

The hunt launched to find those behind the prison van attack involves 'several hundred' police and military officers following a special operation deployed by France's interior minister.

Gerald Darmanin wrote on X he had ordered the activation of France's Epervier plan which is led by the gendarmerie, a military force that is separate from the police.

"All means are being used to find these criminals. On my instructions, several hundred police officers and gendarmes were mobilised," he said.

The case has been handed to prosecutors from France's office for the fight against organised crime known by their acronym JUNALCO.

The victims: Slain prison officer leaves wife who is five months pregnant

One of the prison guards killed in the prison van ambush in Normandy earlier today leaves a wife who is five months pregnant, while the other had two children.

French justice minister Eric Dupond-Moretti (pictured above) confirmed one officer was born in 1972, making him 51 or 52, while the younger man was born in 1989, meaning he was 34 or 35.

The men are the first prison officers to be killed in the line of duty since 1992.Neither of them have been named at this point in time.

What we know about Mohammed Amra: The escaped inmate known as The Fly

Amra (pictured above) has been identified by French media as the detainee who escaped from the prison van when it was attacked by masked gumnen earlier today.

Here's what we know about him:

• Amra was reportedly sentenced to 18 months in prison last Tuesday following a burglary offence and he has a previous conviction for attempted murder.
• A police source told the Le Parisien newspaper that Amra was 'the head of a narcotics network' in France, and is considered hugely dangerous.
• The French publication also reported Amra attempted to escape his prison cell just two days before today's escape and that he was allegedly placed in solitary confinement as his surveillance was increased.
• According to BFMTV, Amra was jailed by a court in Normandy after thefts from supermarkets and businesses in the suburbs of Évreux between August and October 2019.
• He is also said to have been indicted for attempted homicide in Saint-Étienne du-Rouvray.

The latest article: How deadly prison van attack unfolded: Masked gunmen ambush convoy in France before freeing 'narco boss' dubbed 'The Fly' and shooting dead two guards

Masked gunmen ambushed a prison convoy yesterday and freed a suspected drug gang boss, killing two guards and leaving three others seriously injured.

The terrifying attack, at a motorway toll station in north-west France, sparked a massive manhunt.

Dramatic footage showed the chilling moments the prison van was rammed by a black SUV before gunmen, in hoods and balaclavas, appeared and opened fire with military-grade weapons.

Two guards died, one of them leaves a widow five months pregnant while the other was a father of two. The gunmen fled with prisoner Mohamed Amra, 30, known as La Mouche or The Fly.

Several hundred police, including France's elite anti-terror unit, joined the nationwide search for Amra and his accomplices, who were described as 'armed and very dangerous'. 

A graphic detailing how the deadly attach unfolded at a motorway toll station in north-west France

Pictured is the black SUV shortly after it rammed into the prison convoy

Footage shows the moment a car rammed into a French police vehicle at the Incarville tollbooth, Normandy

Footage also shows gunmen at the scene, filmed from a passing coach, where three prison officers were shot dead 

French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal called the ambush 'despicable' and an attack on the nation and vowed to hunt down the gang.

Read More

BREAKING NEWS

 Two minutes of bloodshed: Chilling new footage shows masked gunmen ramming prison van, opening fire on guards killing at least two, then freeing narco boss The Fly in merciless 120-second ambush at French tollbooth 

Commentators pointed to the incident as an example of the growing violence and power of the country's drug gangs.

The atrocity took place in daylight as the prison convoy was two-thirds of the way through a 34-mile journey from Rouen in Normandy back to jail in the town of Évreux after a morning court hearing. 

Amra, who allegedly ordered a gangland execution two years ago, had appeared before an investigating magistrate. 

As the convoy paused at Incarville tollbooth on the A154 motorway near Val-de-Reuil, the SUV drove into the lead van, effectively blocking it.

Masked men in black emerged from two other cars, brandishing weapons, believed to be pump action rifles and automatic machine guns. They opened fire with armed officers inside the prison vans firing back. One of the attackers is believed to have been injured in the shoot-out.

The coordinated attack was over in five minutes, having been played out in front of motorists, including a coach whose passengers took mobile phone videos.

Amra and the gang escaped in two cars, an Audi A5 and a BMW 5 series, which were later found abandoned and burnt out. 

The inmate, Mohammed Amra, reportedly nicknamed 'La Mouche' (The Fly), was being transported between the towns of Rouen and Evreux in Normandy before the bloodbath unfolded

A police source claimed Amra was the head of a narcotics network and had been held under 'special surveillance' in jail after trying to saw through the bars of his cell.

He has reportedly been linked to organised crime and drug trafficking as well as to kidnapping and murder.

Amra was convicted of a series of aggravated thefts last week and given an 18-month sentence after using a gun to rob supermarkets in Évreux in 2019.

He has a total of 13 convictions and was also being held in connection with an attempted murder in Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray, near Rouen, and the execution of a man in Marseille in June 2022.

Amra is nicknamed 'The Fly' because of his multiple convictions and his involvement in a range of crimes, with a source saying: 'He's everywhere, like an annoying fly.' French justice minister Eric Dupond-Moretti said: 'These are people for whom life counts for nothing.'

French prison guards wear bullet proof vests and have handguns when transporting prisoners. They do not have to stop or pay at toll stations but they are often slowed by traffic, making them vulnerable to attack.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13419003/Masked-gunmen-ambush-convoy-France-dead-guards.html

The two officers who died at the scene of the attack were Arnaud Garcia (L) and Fabrice Moello (R)

French police staff have gathered and blocked the entrance of the jail during a protest by prison officers in Beziers, south of France on May 15, 20244. Pictured: Protesters holding a banner that reads 'prison on the brink of explosion'

Prison officers gather as tyres burn during a protest by prison officers at the Bordeaux-Gradignan jail in Gradignan

Officers blocked the entrance to the jail with pieces of windshields and bumpers

A prison officer of the FO trade union sets a tyre on fire during the protest

Prison staff observed a minute of silence for the two dead officers

Many prison officers said they would carry out only a minimum service on Wednesday

A prison officer sets candles alight next to a banner reading 'prison on the brink of explosion'

Staff members stand next to a wooden panel reading grieving during a protest in front of the Lutterbach-Mulhouse penitential centre in Lutterbach, eastern France

Staff members stand next to a banner reading supervisors in anger at the Lutterbach-Mulhouse penitential centre on May 15, 2024

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13420753/france-prison-van-attack-manhunt-guards-slaughtered-staff-protests.html