Mohamed Amra and the gangs of Marseille | Deep Dive: Exploring Organized Crime

Mohamed Amra and the gangs of Marseille | Deep Dive: Exploring Organized Crime

Author: Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime July 24, 2024 Duration: 36:01

In May 2024, a prison van was attacked at a highway toll in Normandy, France. In dramatic footage shared on social media, a black SUV, driving the wrong direction, rammed into the prison van just as it went through the barriers. Then gunmen, dressed head-to-toe in black and armed with Kalashnikov rifles got out and started shooting at the van, killing two prison officers.

They opened the van and freed the prisoner, a man named Mohamed Amra, aka "The Fly", who escaped with the gunmen. There is now an Interpol Red Notice out for Amra.

The attack took place in broad daylight and sheds light on the dramatic increase in gang violence over the last few years in France. Mohamed Amra had connections to the city that has been at the forefront of this violence, Marseille, on the Mediterranean coast.

Speaker(s):

Iris Oustinoff Leroux, YPN Coordinator and Analyst, Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime

Links:

(GI article) France in the crossfire: Prisoner escapes in Normandy amid rise in organized crime

(GI Paper) Smoke on the horizon: Trends in arms trafficking from the conflict in Ukraine

(GI Article) The Western Balkans is still the criminals’ choice for weapons.

Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime

Global Organized Crime Index

Senate Report FAIT au nom de la commission d’enquête (1) sur l’impact du narcotrafic en France et les mesures à prendre pour y remédier,

Additional...


Behind the headlines and official reports exists a shadow world of immense scale and complexity. Deep Dive: Exploring Organized Crime ventures into that space, guided by the experts and analysts of the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime. This isn't just about recounting crimes; it's a meticulous examination of the systems, economies, and global networks that power them. The scope of this podcast is intentionally vast. You might find one installment unraveling the operations of a hybrid paramilitary cartel, while the next investigates the obscure financial pipelines that enable wildlife trafficking or cyber fraud. Each episode is built on frontline reporting and deep research, translating intricate criminal ecosystems into compelling narrative. Recognized with awards for its thorough approach, including twice winning 'Best Deep Dive Podcast,' the series offers listeners clarity on some of the world's most opaque and powerful structures. Tune in for a sober, authoritative look beyond the surface, where the real stories of global illicit power are told.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 49

Deep Dive: Exploring Organized Crime
Podcast Episodes
The Fall of EncroChat | Deep Dive: Exploring Organized Crime [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:04
In June 2020, EncroChat users received a flurry of panicked messages from the company claiming its encrypted network had been hacked by "government entities". What unravelled was one of the biggest hacks by law enforceme…
Transnational Tentacles | Deep Dive: Exploring Organized Crime [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:33
Transnational Tentacles: Global Hotspots of Balkan Organized Crime.The Western Balkans is well understood now as an important transit point for the smuggling of drugs, arms and people. But what has been less understood i…
Destruction or Theft? | Deep Dive: Exploring Organized Crime [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:53
Destruction or Theft? Between 2014 and 2017, the Islamic State group occupied territory in Iraq. At it's height it controlled almost a third of the country and over 4,500 historical sites.Alongside the dramatic pictures…