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

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.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

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 andwas 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 mentionedthat 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)