Two Decades in Prison Ordered for Fugitive Seddik Benbahlouli After 27 Years Evading Capture
PARIS – A French court on Wednesday sentenced Seddik Benbahlouli to 20 years imprisonment,concluding a decades-long pursuit following a 1996 attempted robbery and subsequent manhunt. Benbahlouli, apprehended in January after 27 years on the run, was convicted in absentia in 2001 for his role in a series of armed heists targeting armored vehicles.
The case, steeped in the violent underworld of 1990s France, resurfaced with Benbahlouli’s capture, highlighting the enduring efforts of law enforcement to bring perpetrators of serious crimes to justice, irrespective of the time elapsed. The sentencing marks the final chapter for a core member of a notorious gang responsible for a brazen escalation of attacks, and offers closure to a case that captivated the nation. The conviction underscores the long reach of the law and serves as a deterrent against prolonged flight from justice.
The gang’s activities culminated in a failed attack on March 28, 1996, triggering a dramatic standoff with the Raid, France’s elite police unit. The following day, four members of the group died during a siege in Roubaix. Christophe Caze, identified as the alleged leader, was fatally shot while attempting to escape in Belgium.
Benbahlouli evaded capture for nearly three decades, becoming a symbol of successful evasion. His arrest in January, details of which remain largely undisclosed, allowed authorities to finally execute the 2001 conviction.
A related 2005 Le Monde article profiled Lionel Dumont, another member of the same criminal network, who similarly attempted to distance himself from accusations of extremist motivations behind the robberies. Dumont, described as a “robber, Muslim and ‘idealist'”, rejected the label of “jihadist” applied to the group’s actions.
The article was reported by Le Monde with contributions from AFP.
