BUCHAREST, Romania — A well-known French fugitive, who famously escaped custody last year, made an appearance in a Romanian court on Sunday after a lengthy nine-month international manhunt that led to his capture in Bucharest.
Mohamed Amra, whose hair was dyed red in what may have been an attempt to conceal his identity, exhibited a broad smile for the cameras as he was escorted by law enforcement in and out of the courthouse.
In connection with Amra’s case, ten additional individuals were detained overnight, facing accusations of playing roles in orchestrating and executing his escape last year, as well as aiding him during his time in hiding, according to statements made by Paris Prosecutor Laure Beccuau.
Amra’s escape in May involved a violent incident in which two guards were killed by armed attackers who assisted him while he was being transported in a convoy in Normandy. Following this event, Interpol promptly issued a notice seeking his capture.
French authorities were quick to notify their international counterparts upon suspecting that Amra had left France. Romanian law enforcement managed to identify and apprehend him on Saturday near a local shopping center, as reported by the prosecutor.
The Romanian judiciary is now set to determine whether Amra will be extradited to France.
“Despite the change in his hair color, we confirmed the suspect’s identification through facial recognition technology and fingerprint analysis,” the prosecutor explained.
Amra, who is 30 years old and carries the nickname “The Fly,” escaped after being sentenced for burglary in the town of Evreux in Normandy. Additionally, he was under investigation for a failed organized homicide and a kidnapping that led to a fatality, according to the prosecutors.
The prosecutor further revealed that Amra has ties to Marseille’s organized crime groups and is believed to be operating a drug trafficking network.
