Two French fugitives arrested in Morocco extradited over deadly prison van attack

Two French fugitives arrested in Morocco extradited over deadly prison van attack
Friday 15 August 2025 - 18:02

Morocco has handed over two men accused of playing a key role in the violent 2024 escape of French drug trafficker Mohamed Amra, an operation that left two prison officers dead, according to Le Figaro.

Alan Gomes, 28, and Albinou Da Sylva, 38, were arrested in Morocco on 23 February, just one day after Amra, known as “La Mouche,” was captured in Romania following nine months on the run. 

Both men were the subject of Interpol red notices and are believed to have fled to Morocco immediately after the deadly ambush at the Incarville toll in northern France.

The Moroccan authorities moved quickly on the French arrest warrants, leading to their extradition on 13 August. 

French Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin publicly thanked Morocco for its “rapid and decisive” cooperation, saying the suspects would face justice without delay.

French investigators accuse Gomes of being part of the armed commando that stormed the prison van, while Da Sylva is suspected of helping organise the escape. 

Both have been charged with offences including organised murder, attempted murder, criminal conspiracy and escape, and are now in pre-trial detention in Paris.

The two men are also linked to the “Black Manjak Family,” a Normandy-based criminal network involved in large-scale drug trafficking. 

Investigators say Gomes managed a hookah lounge used as a meeting point for the group, while Da Sylva allegedly helped run the operation. 

Raids in France uncovered weapons, ammunition, mobile phones and cash at addresses tied to the pair.

The Amra case has become one of France’s biggest organised crime investigations in years, with at least 41 people charged, 30 of them still in custody. 

Amra, considered one of France’s most dangerous traffickers, is now held under strict conditions in a high-security prison in Vendin-Le-Vieil.

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