French terror suspect linked to deadly May 2024 prison break in Normandy arrested in Phuket. Mr. Adonis, who was hiding in Kathu, faces deportation despite no formal extradition treaty. Two guards were killed in the attack he was involved in.
A 24-year-old terrorist linked to a violent jailbreak in France in May 2024 was arrested by police in Phuket this week. Two prison officers were killed in the operation and three were injured. Thai authorities are liaising with the French Embassy to expedite his deportation. This comes despite Thailand not having a formal extradition treaty with France. The French national, identified only as Mr. Adonis, arrived in Thailand on February 8th and has been lying low in Phuket’s Kathu district. He is being held under tight security in Bangkok pending his extradition.
Immigration Bureau police in Phuket on Wednesday arrested a French terror suspect who had been lying low on the island since February 8th last. Initially, the Thai police were acting on a tip-off from intelligence officials in France.
Previously, the suspect, identified as Mr. Adonis, was the subject of an Interpol Red Notice issued by France. Afterwards, he is understood to have lived in the Kathu area of the island, particularly in Kamala and Patong.
Suspect arrested at Phuket International Airport, with police tight-lipped on how he was located
Phuket police held a press conference on Wednesday regarding the arrest. Significantly, the 24-year-old was apprehended at Phuket International Airport. Currently, police remain tight-lipped about how he was located at the airport or what assistance the French national may have received in Thailand.
Certainly, it is thought he may have been attempting to fly to another jurisdiction.
The press conference notably took place in Bangkok where Mr. Adonis is being held under tight security.
Certainly, he is a criminal suspect of note. Furthermore, it is understood that he participated in the assault on a prison convoy in the Eure region of Normandy on May 14th, 2024.
Deadly assault during prison convoy attack left two guards dead, linked to notorious French criminal
Two of only five prison guards were killed in what was a deadly assault. The gang, including Mr. Adonis, were armed with military-grade weapons.
They used a stolen Peugeot SUV to to stage a crash as the prison bus arrived at an ambush point. The objective of the attack was to secure the release of a notorious French criminal, Mohamed Amara, also known as “The Fly”.
Later in February 2025, Mr. Amara was arrested by Romanian police in Bucharest and subsequently deported back to France. This criminal figure was a key member of a powerful drug distribution network in Marseille.
The prison convoy attack was the main news story in France for days. In addition to the two deceased prison guards, three others were injured. Last year, former French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin denounced the attacks as unprecedented, marking the most serious incident in 30 years in France.
Despite French efforts, Mr. Adonis evaded capture. At this time officials are planning his deportation to France
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, police in Phuket revealed that Mr. Adonis had evaded capture despite his involvement in the high-profile incident last year. Certainly, it is not clear how he managed to evade French efforts to apprehend and locate him.
During the conference, police admitted that Thailand currently does not have an extradition treaty with France. Nevertheless, Thai authorities are keen to deport Mr. Adonis back into the hands of French officials.
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Immigration Bureau Deputy Chief Police Major General Pantana Nutchanart confirmed this.
At length, he stated that his visa to stay in Thailand until April 8th next year had been voided. Immigration Bureau officers are presently coordinating with the French Embassy to extradite Mr. Adonis as quickly as possible.
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