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 six 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.
While Thai officials are moving to process the case quickly, formal extradition procedures remain unclear. According to information on the website of the Royal Thai Embassy in Paris, an extradition treaty between Thailand and France is currently under consideration and still being drafted.
Despite this legal technicality, at a Bangkok Immigration Bureau press conference today, Deputy Commissioner Police Major General Pantana Nutchanart stated that Adonis will be sent back to France as soon as possible.
The investigation revealed that Adonis entered Thailand through Phuket Immigration on February 8, 2025, before France issued an arrest warrant and before Interpol issued a Red Notice. The suspect had been hiding in the Kamala and Patong areas of Kathu district, Phuket.
Adonis had originally been granted permission to stay in the kingdom until April 8. Following the arrest, officials will now revoke his visa and coordinate with the French Embassy for further legal proceedings.
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