Rabat — France’s Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin expressed gratitude to Morocco after the North African country extradited two men wanted in connection with a deadly prison van attack that killed two guards.
Darmanin commended Moroccan authorities on social media platform X, calling them “our Moroccan friends” and specifically thanking his counterpart in Morocco’s Justice Ministry.
“A big thank you to our Moroccan friends, and especially to my Justice Ministry counterpart, who made this operation possible quickly,” Darmanin’s post read.
The minister announced that Morocco had handed over Alan Gomes, 28, and Albinou Da Sylva, 38, both wanted for their alleged role in helping notorious Algerian criminal Mohamed Amra escape custody.
Moroccan police arrested the two men in February, just one day after Romanian authorities captured Amra himself in Bucharest.
Both extradited suspects had lived in Evreux, the same central French town where Amra operated. After fleeing to Morocco following the prison break, they spent months hiding before Moroccan authorities tracked them down.
Darmanin pointed out that the men “will appear before a judge quickly and must answer for their actions” now that Morocco has returned them to France.
The case stems from a brazen May 2024 attack at the Incarville toll booth, where gunmen ambushed a prison van transporting Amra. The assault killed two prison officers and seriously wounded three others.
Police believe Gomes took part in the commando team that carried out what Darmanin called the “cowardly escape.” Amra, nicknamed “La Mouche” (The Fly), remained free for nine months before his capture in Romania.
The prison break shocked France and prompted authorities to launch an exceptional investigation. Police have now charged at least 41 people in the sprawling case, with 30 suspects currently in jail awaiting trial.
The successful extradition demonstrates the strength of Franco-Moroccan judicial cooperation. Morocco’s quick response to French requests helped ensure that key suspects could not use international borders to escape justice.
French authorities worked with police forces across Europe and North Africa to track down all those involved in the escape. The cooperation with Morocco proved particularly crucial, as the kingdom served as a refuge for several suspects after the attack.
The extradition marks another victory for international law enforcement cooperation in bringing those responsible for the deadly prison break to face French courts.