PHUKET — Thai authorities have apprehended a key suspect involved in a deadly prison break in France who had fled to Thailand’s resort island of Phuket on March 26.
The Royal Thai Police and Immigration Bureau, acting on intelligence from the French Embassy in Thailand, successfully tracked down and arrested 24-year-old French national identified only as “Mr. Adonis” at Phuket International Airport.
According to officials, the suspect has confessed to participating in a violent prison break operation in France that resulted in the death of prison guards. Following the incident, he evaded an Interpol arrest warrant by fleeing to Phuket, where he had been hiding.
The case refers to what Thai authorities described as a shocking incident that occurred in France last year. International media reports indicate the prison break took place in May 2024 in the Eure region of northern France, when armed assailants ambushed a prison transport vehicle at a toll booth. The attackers rammed the van and opened fire, killing two prison guards and seriously injuring three others.
The primary escapee was reportedly Mohamed Amra, known as “The Fly,” who was being transported back to prison from a court appearance in Normandy. French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin described the subsequent manhunt as “unprecedented,” noting it was the country’s first fatal attack on prison staff in more than 30 years.
Thai authorities have not yet provided details on extradition proceedings for the suspect. According to information on the website of the Royal Thai Embassy in Paris, the extradition treaty between Thailand and France is currently under consideration and still being drafted.
______
