Sacré bleu! France is in shock from and abuzz about the daring escape this week of a prisoner known as “The Fly.” The alleged drug boss got loose as the result of a deadly ambush of a prison van. Will a massive manhunt allow French police to get their man? Can “The Fly” be swatted?
Who’s The Fly?
The most wanted man in France right now is 30 year old Mohamed Amra. From northern France, he is well-known as “The Fly” (or “La Mouche” in French). Amra’s allegedly associated with a powerful gang in Marseille, the “Blacks.”
At his relatively young age, “The Fly” has already racked up thirteen convictions with other charges pending. The French authorities label him as a suspected narcotics boss, but most of his convictions relate to incidents of theft with aggravating offenses. Amra’s under indictment in Marseille for kidnapping which led to a death.
At the time of his escape, “The Fly” was being held at the Val de Reuil Prison. He’d been convicted of burglary on May 10th and sentenced to serve 18 months. But apparently prison life didn’t suit him. Two days before the prison van ambush, prison guards caught Amra attempting to escape by sawing off the bars of his cell. (And just HOW did a prisoner happen to have a saw to attempt to escape?? Enquiring minds want to know.) A move to solitary confinement followed.
The Ambush And Escape
A mere four days after his burglary conviction, Amra escaped from custody thanks to a little help from his friends, four armed gunmen. On Tuesday morning, five officers were escorting “The Fly” from a court hearing in Rouen to a nearby prison in Evereux via a prison van. In a brazen, broad daylight attack around 11:00 a.m., the prison vehicle was rammed at a toll station. A black Peugeot SUV (vehicle details provided for you car fans) drove into the front of the white prison van. [Check out the chilling video from toll station cameras at https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-europe-69016160.] A second vehicle, a stolen one white, was involved and assisted in the getaway.
Four gunmen clad in all-black attire and wearing balaclavas (also known as ski masks) which covered their faces converged upon the stopped prison vehicle. (You know with the French fashion sense they HAD to be color-coordinated and observe a dress code.) They fired over 30 rounds from automatic weapons, killing two of the escort officers with the machine gun attack. The three other officers were severely wounded, one with a bullet wound in his forehead. The attack included point-blank shots as well as some double tap shots to the head of the fallen officers to make sure they were dead.
The Aftermath
The aftermath of this horrendous attack? The numbers tell the tale. One escaped prisoner, one officer in critical condition, two officers dead, three severely injured officers, four wanted gunmen, and over 450 French police on a manhunt.
The mother of “The Fly” has decried the senseless violence and killings to the media. The killing of the escort officers is especially incredulous in France. According to Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti, no officer working in the prison service had been killed in the line of duty since 1992. Sadly, both of the officers who lost their lives leave families behind, including the wife of one who is five months pregnant.
The escapee may be on the lam, but a massive manhunt is underway. Hundreds of police have been deployed to the Eure region of northern France where the attack took place. France has even accepted the assistance of foreign countries in the search. French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin describes the efforts to find “The Fly” as “unprecedented. So far, though, the only thing found by the authorities is two vehicles used by the attackers which were abandoned and burned.
Politicians are feeling the heat with the spotlight on this example of rising violence in France and the growth of drug trafficking. Estimates put the country’s drug trade at $3.8 billion (that’s billion with a “b”) a year. Bruno Retailleau, a leader in an opposition party in the French Senate, commented that: “Prisons are sieves. Dealers run their drug trafficking businesses from jail.” (That is, when the jails contain them….) Even worse? Retailleau stated his country is “on the path to “Mexicanisation.”
Ironically, the attack on the prison van occurred the same day as the French Senate’s release of a report on drug trafficking. This report warned France faces a “tipping point” from the increased violence that activity brings. (No word yet on whether the French Senate has responded to the deadly prison van incident by saying, “We told you so!”)
Now What?
The saying, “First things first” comes to mind in this scenario. France’s battle with increasing violence and a flourishing drug trade will not be solved overnight. Attention does need to be given to this alarming situation. But right now, the highest priority is to find the escapee and his accomplices before further bloodshed occurs. Arresting and keeping in confinement the wrongdoers will relieve the worries of French citizens concerned about these criminals with no respect for human life. The secondary focus at this point is fixing a broken government system to allow it to deal effectively with crime and violence. Oui! That system’s broken. Please fix it.
WONDER-ing Woman:
Does news about this attack give you pause about traveling to France? Is making an example of “The Fly” and his accomplices when they are caught going to solve the problem? What do you suggest France do to turn the tide against rising violence?