A dramatic clip has shown the moment notorious French criminal Mohamed Amra was sprung from a prison van taking him from court to jail.
Two French prison officers, dad-of-two Fabrice Moello, 52, and soon-to-be-father Arnaud Garcia, 34, were killed and three more seriously wounded after yesterday’s incident, when the convoy transporting Amra – nicknamed La Mouche, or The Fly – was attacked.
Footage shows a black car driving headlong into a prison van with flashing blue lights.
Several men wearing black and armed with guns then surround the van with at least two people pulled from it.
Towards the end of the two-minute film, there is some sort of explosion, and several men are shown fleeing the scene.
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A huge manhunt is now underway, with Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin pledging on X, formerly Twitter: “All means are being used to find these criminals.
“On my instructions, several hundred police officers and gendarmes were mobilised.”
Also on X, French President Emmanuel Macron said the attack was “a shock for all of us.”
Authorities worked to secure the area in northwestern France and track down the assailants. It was not clear how many were involved.
Amra was previously detained at the Val de Reuil prison centre near Rouen following his recent sentencing for burglary. He was being taken to Evreux jail when the van was ambushed on the A154 freeway, which has been closed.
He was also under investigation for a kidnapping and homicide case in Marseille, according to public prosecutor Laure Beccuau.
Beccuau announced an investigation into the attack, considered a case of organised crime and murder, and said two of the wounded officers were in critical condition.
The investigation will also address organised escape attempts, possession of military-grade weapons and conspiracy to commit a crime.
Prison officers across France are protesting as of May 15 after the tragic loss of life, demanding improved working conditions and better security for prison officers.