Three days after his murderous escape, Mohamed Amra is nowhere to be found. The massive resources (200 gendarmes, a GIGN team and a helicopter) deployed in the hours that followed were lifted to let the “350 investigators” guide the research. A red notice was issued by Interpol at the request of French authorities on Wednesday afternoon. A way to share information concerning the fugitive whose escape cost the lives of two prison officers with the police in 196 countries.
The question arises: was he able to flee abroad? And more generally, is it ultimately smarter to leave France to avoid getting caught? Not sure. Because if a getaway is already expensive, it is even more expensive when it is organized in a third country. You have to put aside a lot of cash for accommodation, travel but above all false papers which “must withstand extensive checks”, underlines 20 minutes Brendan Kemmet, journalist and author of several books on banditry and on the run.
Crossing a border also carries an additional risk because where there is a border, there is an identity check. Controls have also been strengthened since the terrorist attacks of recent years. However, with this Interpol notice, “the identification data of the person sought is present on all databases permanently accessible by all countries”, warns Cyril Gout, director of operational support and analysis at Interpol.
Connected fonts
All investigators from member countries are thus aware of the information, it can be exchanged at any time, which greatly facilitates international cooperation. It is also thanks to Interpol that Rocco Morabito, leading figure of the ‘Ndrangheta and number two of Italy’s most wanted fugitives, was arrested in Brazil in May 2021.
The risk lies mainly in random identity checks and being “confronted with technical means, fingerprints, DNA”, adds Brendan Kemmet. Furthermore, in a “less developed country, the fugitive can also come across police who must be corrupted,” he adds.
Holes in the racket
There are still holes in the racket as shown by the 6,798 public red notices in circulation that can be consulted on the Interpol website, including 66 issued by France. Added to this is the willingness of each police force to take these red notices into account. “These are not supranational notices, it is not an international arrest warrant, it is an international alert which is issued at the moment T”, explains Cyril Gout.
Especially since abroad, a fugitive is more likely to go incognito, his face is not as identified as in his country of origin and “there is not this pressure of the result that the French police officers,” notes Brendan Kemmet. He also recalls that Rédoine Faïd was spotted in Creil, the town where he grew up, 93 days after his escape.
The question of extradition
Added to this difficulty for investigators is that for justice: it is still necessary for the authorities of the host country to accept the extradition. “There is no general agreement on extradition. This does not mean that countries with which there is no agreement would refuse extradition. It is a diplomatic subject between France and other countries,” explains Cyril Gout.
Our file on Mohamed Amra
“The chances of being arrested abroad are more minimal overall but the difficulty is being more exposed because there are not necessarily people to welcome the person on the run and hide them”, supports Brendan Kemmet . “If it is not a guarantee to be abroad, nor to be in France, generally speaking, in the long term it seems very difficult and very compromised to stay on the run,” he concludes.