France's number one enemy | He escaped from the police twice (with 1000 faces)

In just seconds, France’s Public Enemy No. 1 was in police custody.

French police and global security agencies were on high alert, ready to do whatever it took to capture him—because this time, the target wasn’t just any criminal. This man had killed over 100 people, escaped from prison multiple times—each time using a different method—and after one escape, he actually returned to the prison to retrieve something from inside. On top of all that, he was a politician with an unknown and mysterious intelligence agenda.

Across Europe and America, he was known as “The Man of a Thousand Faces” for his skill in disguise and evasion. In France, they simply called him Public Enemy No. 1.

During the final chase, hopes were high that his reign of terror would finally end. He was cornered, with security forces aiming their weapons at him. They had only two choices: kill him on the spot and bury his secrets forever, or take him alive.

This story has everything: robbery, murder, kidnapping, disguise, and daring escapes. He drove Europe and the U.S. crazy. Several movies and series have been made about him, but none of them ever mentioned his name or hinted at his identity—because to many, he was a Robin Hood figure, a legendary anti-hero.

During World War II, when Germany invaded France, countless massacres took place. Every French citizen had three options: flee, die, or watch the people around them get slaughtered. One child who witnessed those horrors was named Jacques Mesrine, born December 2, 1936, in a small town called Clichy near Paris. Jacques was the only son of very religious, wealthy parents.

When France fell, Jacques’ father, René Mesrine, refused to leave their home. Tragically, Jacques and his parents saw the atrocities unfold right before their eyes. Jacques never forgot those images. They stayed etched in his mind—and he would one day relive them in a completely different way.

He studied at a prestigious Catholic college but was expelled several times for violent behavior. Jacques never worked a day in his life, relying instead on his father’s wealth. In 1955, at age 19, he told his family he wanted to start a new life. He got married, but the marriage lasted less than a year. Then he was drafted into the military—and that changed everything.

In the army, Jacques discovered his talents and realized those haunting images from his childhood were still inside him. After intense testing, he was assigned to a special operations unit—where everything was allowed except mercy.

On a paratrooper mission to Algeria, he was tasked with overseeing prisoners and conducting field executions. His only job: to kill. Jacques later said, “I was avenging history—on my terms.” The massacres in his country? He repeated them somewhere else, on a different people.

During six months in Algeria, he killed over 2,000 people. About 100 of them were illegal killings; the rest were “authorized.” He was awarded the Military Medal of Valor by Charles de Gaulle himself and hailed as a national hero. But Jacques realized he wasn’t happy as a soldier—he was happy as a killer.

In 1961, he joined the Secret Army Organization, a political-military group aiming to seize power in France through shady activities—assassinations, eliminations, and more. Jacques was perfect for the job and underwent special training to become a professional hitman.

Between 1961 and 1965, Jacques lived like Jason Statham, killing 12 high-profile figures in France. But in 1962, he was arrested—not for murder, but for bank robbery. Robbing banks was his “hobby,” despite having no need for money.

His robbery methods were genius. He’d enter a bank, observe employees, then target a woman who seemed emotionally vulnerable. He’d flirt with her, then convince her to help him rob the bank because “it wasn’t her money anyway.” He’d promise a fun getaway, pull out a gun to cause a distraction (though never loaded), and pull off the heist.

He did this 34 times successfully—but on the 35th time, he failed. The woman he tried to charm recognized him. He had scammed her before using the same method. She reported him, and he was arrested.

Jacques was sentenced to 18 months in prison. While locked up, he had deep regrets about what he had done in Algeria. He served his sentence, came out a changed man, remarried, had three kids, and tried many jobs—but all ended in failure.

Finally, he became a restaurant manager and did well, until his boss found him drunk and acting weird around employees—and fired him on the spot. Jacques snapped. Three years later, he got his revenge. He dyed his hair, disguised himself as a police officer, stormed the restaurant, trashed everything, and opened fire. Later, he hunted down the restaurant owner and killed him at home—leaving no trace.

In another mission, Jacques disguised himself as a Canadian commander, broke into the Spanish military governor’s palace, and stole secret documents. How he pulled it off remains a mystery. He was arrested and later released after six months—rumor says he was working for French intelligence.

In Switzerland, he robbed a jewelry store using sleeping gas. He pretended his wife was a cancer patient who needed oxygen (to protect her from the gas), then knocked out the staff and looted the place.

In Canada, he and his wife murdered a wealthy businessman and his wife, then an elderly woman whose house they robbed. They were caught in Canada. His wife, Jeanne, got life for committing the murders. Jacques got 10 years for covering up the crimes—but escaped after just two weeks. He had been cutting through the prison fence bit by bit until he made a hole and ran. He was caught the next day. Two years later, he escaped again—with five other inmates.

Later, Jacques launched an assault on the prison he was once held in, attempting to free more prisoners—but failed. Back in France, he claimed to have reformed. He opened a café, but killed a customer and got 20 years in prison. He then escaped from court using a clever trick and fled to Brazil, where he was arrested again. In jail, he wrote a book called “Death Instinct”, which made millions. France then passed a law banning criminals from profiting off their crimes.

He escaped once more from a high-security prison wearing fake uniforms and stole a prisoner transport bus. He later formed a gang of 50 criminals, began kidnapping millionaires for ransom, and collected 2 million francs.

On November 2, 1979, police finally cornered him. He fled with his wife in a car, but after a short chase, police blocked the road. A police officer fired 20 bullets, killing Jacques instantly. That officer was arrested and investigated until 2004, but was cleared under self-defense.

The failed bank robbery that first got Jacques caught? He targeted the same woman twice—and she recognized him.