France is grappling with a surge in drug related violence, reaching what officials describe as a Tipping Point in the country. Watch this report to know more.

Drug Violence Hits Tipping Point In France

A group of armed men wearing balaclavas ambushed a prison van in France on Tuesday to release a drug dealer named Mohamed Amra. The incident, which was captured on CCTV, happened near Paris in the city of Rouen.&nbsp;

Amra, also known as “The Fly”, was being taken to a prison in Rouen, when gunmen attacked the prison officers that killed two of them and wounded others.&nbsp;

Amra is said to have links to a gang of drug dealers in the southern city of Marseille, which has seen many incidents of drug-related gang violence in the recent past.&nbsp;

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The incident took place the same day France’s Senate released a major report on drug trafficking, warning that the country faces a “tipping point” from rising narco violence.&nbsp;

<h2>Who is Mohamed Amra?</h2>

As per prosecutors, the fugitive Mohamed Amra is a 30-year-old drug dealer from northern France, who was convicted of burglary on May 10 and had been indicted by prosecutors in Marseille for a kidnapping that led to a death. A police source in Marseille said Amra was a drug dealer with ties to the city's powerful "Blacks" gang.

He was being held at the Vel de Reuil prison, near Rouen, and had reportedly appeared at a nearby court in relation to those new charges prior to the ambush.&nbsp;

Amra was not considered a highly dangerous prisoner and&nbsp;was not a “closely watched inmate”, said prosecutor Laura Beccuau.&nbsp;

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However, his transportation still reportedly required a "level three escort" which meant five prison officers were travelling with him.

As per Amra’s lawyer, Hugues Vigier, he had already made an escape attempt on the weekend by sawing out the bars of his cell. However, Hugues mentioned&nbsp;that he was shocked by Amra’s “inexcusable” and “insane” violence.

"This does not correspond to the impression that I had of him," the lawyer told BFMTV.

Vigier said that his assistant had met with Amra on Tuesday morning.

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"A short meeting, about an hour long was planned for this morning and my assistant saw Amra and he was perfectly normal," he said.

"He knew about Tuesday's transfer so it is possible that he'd have told other people."

Amra’s accomplices appeared to be fully informed though, because they were waiting at the motorway toll booth. As soon as the police van reached the toll booth, a car rammed into it and armed men opened fire brazenly.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

A group of armed men wearing balaclavas ambushed a prison van in France on Tuesday to release a drug dealer named Mohamed Amra. The incident, which was captured on CCTV, happened near Paris in the city of Rouen.

A group of armed men wearing balaclavas ambushed a prison van in France on Tuesday to release a drug dealer named Mohamed Amra. The incident, which was captured on CCTV, happened near Paris in the city of Rouen. Amra, also known as “The Fly”, was being taken to a prison in Rouen, when gunmen attacked the prison officers that killed two of them and wounded others. Amra is said to have links to a gang of drug dealers in the southern city of Marseille, which has seen many incidents of drug-related gang violence in the recent past. Also Read | Zelensky cancels Friday visit to Spain; Ukraine withdraws troops in Kharkiv The incident took place the same day France’s Senate released a major report on drug trafficking, warning that the country faces a “tipping point” from rising narco violence. Who is Mohamed Amra? As per prosecutors, the fugitive Mohamed Amra is a 30-year-old drug dealer from northern France, who was convicted of burglary on May 10 and had been indicted by prosecutors in Marseille for a kidnapping that led to a death. A police source in Marseille said Amra was a drug dealer with ties to the city's powerful "Blacks" gang. He was being held at the Vel de Reuil prison, near Rouen, and had reportedly appeared at a nearby court in relation to those new charges prior to the ambush. Amra was not considered a highly dangerous prisoner and was not a “closely watched inmate”, said prosecutor Laura Beccuau. Also Read | One dead, hundreds injured as riots sweep New Caledonia However, his transportation still reportedly required a "level three escort" which meant five prison officers were travelling with him. As per Amra’s lawyer, Hugues Vigier, he had already made an escape attempt on the weekend by sawing out the bars of his cell. However, Hugues mentioned that he was shocked by Amra’s “inexcusable” and “insane” violence. "This does not correspond to the impression that I had of him," the lawyer told BFMTV. Vigier said that his assistant had met with Amra on Tuesday morning. Also Read | Dubai Unlocked: UAE vows to crack down all forms of illicit finance "A short meeting, about an hour long was planned for this morning and my assistant saw Amra and he was perfectly normal," he said. "He knew about Tuesday's transfer so it is possible that he'd have told other people." Amra’s accomplices appeared to be fully informed though, because they were waiting at the motorway toll booth. As soon as the police van reached the toll booth, a car rammed into it and armed men opened fire brazenly. (With inputs from agencies)

Drug dealer Mohamed Amra escaped following attack on his prison van in France. Who is he?

At least 10 people were killed in a shootout in Northern Mexico near the U.S. border on 20th of May. The attack by heavily armed gunmen happened at a race between amateur rally drivers in the city of Ensenada. Alonso Arambula Pina, an alleged drug trafficker, is believed to be the intended target of the armed attack. The state of Baja California in Mexico, which has been hit hard by drug violence, announced the formation of a "special investigation group" to identify the killers and determine the motive behind the killings. Mohammed Saleh explores tang violence in Baja California.

World at War: Alleged drug trafficker targeted at a racing event in Mexico

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) has&nbsp;discovered over 300 kg of methamphetamine worth $273 million concealed deep inside a steel hydraulic press that was smuggled into New South Wales from Mexico. The officials added that this methamphetamine could have made up approximately 3 million individual street deals, the force said in a press release.&nbsp;

The importation originally arrived on April 18 and the AFP&nbsp;is now trying to identify the transactional crime syndicate behind the elaborated importation, Guardian reported.

The suspicions were raised after the Australian Border Force officers examined the consignment at the container examination facility in Syndey due to the density of steel. After this when the ABF&nbsp;drilled into the core of the hydraulic press, they found a white substance deep inside the machinery, which gave a positive result for methamphetamine.&nbsp;

A total of 79 blocks of meth were found secreted inside two lea-lined tubs after the machinery was pulled apart.

What is Methamphetamine?

This is a powerful and highly addictive stimulant that affects one's nervous system. It can be consumed through smoking, snorting and even injecting powder dissolved in water and alcohol.

Its short-term effects include increased wakefulness and physical activity, decreased appetite, faster breathing and irregular heartbeat. However, its long-term effects include extreme weight loss, addiction, and several dental and skin problems like intense itching leading to skin sores.&nbsp;

Probe on

Salam Zreika, an AFP&nbsp;detective sergeant said that only a well-established organised crime syndicate could have financed and managed such an "elaborated scheme."

He said, "Retrieving the drugs from this concealment in Australia would require significant resources, expertise and space, so someone in the community may have heard something that could help us to identify those involved locally."

He added that these current seizures clearly showed that the drug trafficking syndicates will always try to smuggle illicit drugs into Australia for their own benefit.&nbsp;

Zreika also mentioned that methamphetamine causes immense harm. As per official data of 2020-21, an average&nbsp;of 33 people in Australia were hospitalised each day for meth drug-related incidents.&nbsp;

The federal agency has been working with law enforcement partners locally and overseas to investigate the matter locally and overseas to determine the origins of the drugs and criminals behind the illegal importations.

(with inputs from agencies)

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The Australian Federal Police (AFP) has discovered over 300 kg of methamphetamine worth $273 million concealed deep inside a steel hydraulic press that was smuggled into New South Wales from Mexico.

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) has discovered over 300 kg of methamphetamine worth $273 million concealed deep inside a steel hydraulic press that was smuggled into New South Wales from Mexico. The officials added that this methamphetamine could have made up approximately 3 million individual street deals, the force said in a press release. The importation originally arrived on April 18 and the AFP is now trying to identify the transactional crime syndicate behind the elaborated importation, Guardian reported. The suspicions were raised after the Australian Border Force officers examined the consignment at the container examination facility in Syndey due to the density of steel. After this when the ABF drilled into the core of the hydraulic press, they found a white substance deep inside the machinery, which gave a positive result for methamphetamine. A total of 79 blocks of meth were found secreted inside two lea-lined tubs after the machinery was pulled apart. What is Methamphetamine? This is a powerful and highly addictive stimulant that affects one's nervous system. It can be consumed through smoking, snorting and even injecting powder dissolved in water and alcohol. Its short-term effects include increased wakefulness and physical activity, decreased appetite, faster breathing and irregular heartbeat. However, its long-term effects include extreme weight loss, addiction, and several dental and skin problems like intense itching leading to skin sores. Probe on Salam Zreika, an AFP detective sergeant said that only a well-established organised crime syndicate could have financed and managed such an "elaborated scheme." He said, "Retrieving the drugs from this concealment in Australia would require significant resources, expertise and space, so someone in the community may have heard something that could help us to identify those involved locally." He added that these current seizures clearly showed that the drug trafficking syndicates will always try to smuggle illicit drugs into Australia for their own benefit. Zreika also mentioned that methamphetamine causes immense harm. As per official data of 2020-21, an average of 33 people in Australia were hospitalised each day for meth drug-related incidents. The federal agency has been working with law enforcement partners locally and overseas to investigate the matter locally and overseas to determine the origins of the drugs and criminals behind the illegal importations. (with inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Australian Federal Police finds 79 blocks of Mexican meth worth $273mn in hydraulic press during inspection

As Ecuador reels from its worst prison massacre, President, Guillermo Lasso, has proclaimed a state of emergency in the country, which is dealing with an increase in drug-related violence, and has ordered the mobilisation of police and military forces on the streets.

"On Ecuador's streets, there is only one enemy: drug trafficking," claimed the right-wing leader, adding that "in recent years, Ecuador has gone from being a drug-trafficking country to one that also consumes narcotics."&nbsp;

"Starting immediately, our Armed Forces and police will be felt with force in the streets because we are decreeing a state of emergency throughout the national territory," said the president in a speech broadcast by the state channel EcuadorTV.

Lasso appointed a new defence minister earlier Monday, as the country grapples with a huge jail issue.

The most recent prison tragedy in Ecuador claimed the lives of 119 prisoners.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, a recent run of narcotics seizures, fueled in part by enhanced enforcement, supports police concerns that Ecuador is a hub for South American arms trafficking.

During a cocaine bust in Guayaquil in August, police recovered 10 heavy-caliber guns.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

As Ecuador reels from its worst prison massacre, President, Guillermo Lasso, has proclaimed a state of emergency in the country, which is dealing with an increase in drug-related violence, and has ordered the mobilisation of police and military forces on the streets.

As Ecuador reels from its worst prison massacre, President, Guillermo Lasso, has proclaimed a state of emergency in the country, which is dealing with an increase in drug-related violence, and has ordered the mobilisation of police and military forces on the streets. "On Ecuador's streets, there is only one enemy: drug trafficking," claimed the right-wing leader, adding that "in recent years, Ecuador has gone from being a drug-trafficking country to one that also consumes narcotics." "Starting immediately, our Armed Forces and police will be felt with force in the streets because we are decreeing a state of emergency throughout the national territory," said the president in a speech broadcast by the state channel EcuadorTV. Lasso appointed a new defence minister earlier Monday, as the country grapples with a huge jail issue. The most recent prison tragedy in Ecuador claimed the lives of 119 prisoners. Meanwhile, a recent run of narcotics seizures, fueled in part by enhanced enforcement, supports police concerns that Ecuador is a hub for South American arms trafficking. During a cocaine bust in Guayaquil in August, police recovered 10 heavy-caliber guns. (With inputs from agencies)

Ecuador declares emergency over drug violence, orders troops onto streets

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