BUCHAREST, Romania — A well-known French fugitive, Mohamed Amra, known by the alias “The Fly,” was extradited to France on Tuesday from Romania following his arrest days earlier in Bucharest, which marked the conclusion of a nine-month international pursuit for the fugitive.
Amra was apprehended on Saturday near a Bucharest shopping center. Despite attempts to alter his appearance by dyeing his hair red, the 30-year-old was identified by Romanian police and subsequently captured. A Bucharest court swiftly approved the extradition order on Sunday.
An official from Romania’s Ministry of Internal Affairs, who requested anonymity due to the ongoing legal proceedings, confirmed that Amra was transferred to the custody of French authorities at an airport near Bucharest. His handover was carried out under tight security, with Amra arriving handcuffed and escorted by armed officers.
The search for Amra, which drew significant attention, commenced in May of the previous year. He escaped during a dramatic prison convoy ambush in Normandy, where two guards were killed, and three others sustained serious injuries. This event allowed Amra, who had been serving a sentence for burglary in Evreux, Normandy, to flee.
In addition to the burglary conviction, he was under investigation for attempted organized homicide and involvement in a kidnapping that resulted in death, according to French prosecutors. Interpol issued an arrest notice, and French authorities alerted international counterparts on suspicion that Amra had fled France.
Following his capture, French President Emmanuel Macron praised the operation as a significant triumph and thanked European partners for their assistance in the extensive border-crossing search. Paris Prosecutor Laure Beccuau revealed that Amra had links to organized crime networks in Marseille and was believed to be leading a drug trafficking ring.
Moreover, as of Monday night, authorities had detained 25 people across multiple countries, suspected of aiding his escape or assisting in its aftermath, the Paris prosecutor reported.
