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PARIS: Managing to stay 鈥渙ne step ahead鈥� of investigators, drug trafficker Mohamed Amra evaded capture for nine months following a deadly jail break one year ago that shocked France.

His escape left two prison officers dead and triggered a massive manhunt for the escaped convict dubbed 鈥渓a Mouche鈥� (The Fly).

On the run for nine months, he was re-arrested only in February, near a shopping center in Romania鈥檚 capital, Bucharest, then extradited to France.

On the one-year anniversary of the attack, French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday paid tribute to the first prison officers killed in France in the line of duty since 1992, visiting the site of the attack and highlighting new measures in France鈥檚 push to combat organized crime.

On May 14, 2024, a car crashed head-on into a prison van at a toll booth in France鈥檚 northern Normandy region.

Moments later, a second car pulled up and four armed men jumped out, killing prison officers Arnaud Garcia and Fabrice Moello and leaving three others wounded.

At the time of the deadly ambush, Amra already had a long history of convictions for violent crimes that started when he was only 15.

After the assailants whisked the 30-year-old Normandy native into a waiting vehicle, French authorities launched a massive operation to track down the man described as 鈥減ublic enemy number one.鈥�

But a source close to the case said Amra was 鈥渁lways one step ahead.鈥�

Public prosecutor Laure Beccuau confirmed that the Frenchman had been holed up in the city of Compiegne, then headed further north to Rouen before eventually making his way to eastern Europe.

A network of accomplices suspected of organizing the escape, including a childhood friend of Amra and rapper Koba LaD, allegedly helped the fugitive stay off the authorities鈥� radar.

Even so, 鈥渢he net gradually closed in,鈥� said Beccuau, with the escapee arrested by Romanian authorities nine months after his getaway.

Authorities then intensified the search for those who aided him in his escape from France to the eastern European country, arresting more than three dozen alleged accomplices.

Among those arrested are the six suspected attackers in the May 2024 assault found as far afield as Thailand, Morocco and Spain 鈥� one of whom died in an accident in November.

But a lawyer for one of the accused said there are 鈥渞eal doubts鈥� about their involvement, with some 鈥渃ategorically denying the charges.鈥�

As for Amra, his lawyer said, 鈥渘o one can claim to know his role.鈥�

鈥淭he fact that he benefited from the escape doesn鈥檛 necessarily mean he planned it or knew what methods would be used,鈥� said Lucas Montagnier.

Macron, accompanied by Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau and Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin, visited several sites on Wednesday underlining the country鈥檚 push to clamp down on drug trafficking, including the headquarters of a new anti-organized crime taskforce, EMCO and the site of the May 2024 attack.

In late April, lawmakers approved a major new bill to combat drug-related crime, with some of France鈥檚 most dangerous drug traffickers facing being locked up in high-security units in prison in the coming months.

Amra was suspected of ordering hits from prison, including in the months leading up to his breakout, when a close associate issued a warning that 鈥渢he Fly鈥� was giving someone called 鈥淎鈥� a week to pay up, or else.

A high-security prison in the northern Pas-de-Calais region is expected to house the 100 most dangerous drug traffickers beginning in late July.

With these measures, 鈥渢he Republic is now putting all its resources鈥� into ensuring that an escape like that of Mohamed Amra 鈥渘ever happens again,鈥� Darmanin said on Tuesday on broadcaster France 2.

A plaque was also unveiled, honoring the two prison officers.