Mohamed Amra – the prisoner who escaped from a prison van during an ambush by armed men who killed two prison officers and wounded others – is said to have ties to a gang in the southern city of Marseille, which has been plagued by drug-related gang violence.

His lawyer, Hugues Vigier, said Amra had already made an escape attempt at the weekend by sawing the bars of his cell and said he was shocked by the “inexcusable” and “insane” violence.

Amra’s mother said he had not given any indication he would try to escape.

The heavily armed attack that freed him also came on the same day as the French Senate published a report warning France was being “submerged” by drugs crime.

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