French police had launched a massive manhunt for the fugitive, whose escape resulted in the deaths of two prison guards and was seized upon by right-wing politicians as evidence that France had lost its grip on drug crime. Two prison officers were shot dead while three others were seriously injured during the shooting, which occurred in broad daylight on a motorway around an hour from Paris.
Dramatic footage from the scene at the time showed men wearing black sports clothes using automatic machine pistols, while horrified motorists look on. According to reports prison guards found Amra sawing through the bars of his cell two days before the attack.
The failed escape attempt prompted his relocation to a different disciplinary unit with his surveillance level bumped up. At the time of the prison van ambush, the year-old was being transported to Evreux jail after attending a court hearing in Rouen.
He had also been indicted by prosecutors in Marseille for a kidnapping that led to a death, it said. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies.
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