Eleven people have been indicted as part of an investigation into vast international drug trafficking in the south of France, which notably led to the seizure of two tonnes of cannabis resin, according to a press release from the prosecution. from Marseille.
The investigation led by the research section (SR) of Marseille and the departmental gendarmerie group of Vaucluse started after the dismantling of a first network by the SR of Marseille, in February 2022. The investigations then focused on ” an individual freshly released from prison”.
“The investigations revealed the organization of many go fast type convoys organized from supply hubs located in Vaucluse, in the Bouches-du-Rhône or in the Pyrénées-Orientales, making it possible to supply cities in the Bouches- du-Rhône, Vaucluse and Var, ”adds the prosecution. Investigators manage to uncover a very organized network. The traffickers supplied themselves in Spain with the help of French nationals settled there, and brought back during their trips made several times a week “several hundred kilos of narcotics”.
Fifteen people arrested
“The investigation revealed the existence of several supply chains allowing criminal organizations to ensure the sustainability of their supplies,” adds the prosecution. Investigators found 1.4 tons of cannabis in a tractor-trailer last Friday. The driver was arrested, as well as 14 people in the Var, Bouches-du-Rhône, Vaucluse and Pyrénées-Orientales.
After carrying out various searches at the homes and companies of these people, an additional 580 kg were seized, bringing the total quantity to two tonnes. The 400 mobilized gendarmes were also able to get their hands on handguns and long guns, vehicles, watches and luxury items, as well as money in cash and in bank accounts. A last person was arrested in Malaga by the Spanish police on Tuesday, on an arrest warrant. “At the end of the police custody, 11 people, some of whom were known in the middle of narco-banditry, were indicted and 9 placed in pre-trial detention”, concludes the prosecution.