Mohamed Amra Case: Over 20 New Arrests, Including Rapper Koba LaD, in French Drug Lord Escape Probe

Paris, March 24, 2025, 10:17 AM PDT – French authorities detained 24 individuals, including rapper Koba LaD, on Monday as part of an ongoing investigation into the violent May 2024 escape of drug lord Mohamed Amra and his nine-month run as a fugitive, which ended with his arrest in Romania in late February 2025. This marks the fourth wave of arrests in a high-profile case led by specialized Parisian judges, as reported by AFP and Euronews.

Details of the Latest Arrests

The 24 suspects, apprehended across France, are being held in custody for up to 96 hours, according to a source close to the investigation cited by AFP. Among them is Koba LaD, whose real name is Marcel Junior Loutarila, a 24-year-old rapper with over three million Instagram followers. Two sources confirmed to AFP that Koba LaD, currently incarcerated for an unrelated case, was extracted from his cell and placed in custody on Monday. The Paris prosecutor’s office has not yet confirmed his involvement, and his lawyer declined to comment, per Le Parisien.

Koba LaD, already in pretrial detention for aggravated manslaughter following a September 2024 car accident near Paris that killed a passenger, is now linked to Amra’s escape, per lindependant.fr. The investigation, described as “exceptional” by Paris Prosecutor Laure Beccuau, has utilized extensive methods, including “440 phone interceptions, geolocations, vehicle tracking, data captures, and image analysis,” leading to the identification of suspects, as stated in a justice.gouv.fr release.

The Mohamed Amra Escape and Investigation

Mohamed Amra, nicknamed “The Fly,” escaped on May 14, 2024, when a commando group attacked a prison van at the Incarville toll booth in northwestern France, using a ramming vehicle and assault rifles. The assault killed two prison guards and injured three others, per Al Jazeera. Amra, a notorious drug trafficker, evaded capture for nine months until his arrest in Romania on February 23, 2025, as reported by Euronews. Since his extradition to France, he has been held in solitary confinement at the high-security Condé-sur-Sarthe prison, per FranceInfo.

To date, 27 individuals, plus Amra, have been indicted on charges including murder, attempted murder, organized escape, and criminal association—offenses carrying potential life sentences, according to Beccuau. Most suspects are in pretrial detention, also in isolation, per lindependant.fr.

Koba LaD’s Alleged Connection to the Black Manjak Family

Investigators suspect several of the new detainees, including Koba LaD, are tied to the Black Manjak Family (BMF), a criminal organization based in Normandy specializing in drug trafficking, per Euronews. A source close to the case described BMF as “a sort of label, a recognition sign around Koba LaD,” suggesting the rapper’s entourage played a role in Amra’s escape and subsequent flight. Amra and Koba LaD reportedly shared a cell at Santé Prison in Paris in 2023, per lindependant.fr, with BMF members allegedly aiding Amra by providing hideouts in Rouen and facilitating his escape to Romania by car.

Broader Implications

The case, one of France’s most significant organized crime investigations, highlights the challenges of tackling drug-related violence, with Amra linked to a kidnapping and murder in Marseille, per Al Jazeera. Posts on X, like @FranceCrimeWatch’s, note public outrage over the prison guards’ deaths, while @RapFrance speculated on Koba LaD’s involvement, reflecting his controversial legal history, including a 2022 nightclub brawl, per lindependant.fr.

As of 10:17 AM PDT, the investigation continues, with authorities aiming to dismantle the network behind Amra’s escape, potentially impacting France’s fight against organized crime, per a March 2025 Carnegie Endowment analysis on European drug trafficking.