The trial of Haurus, a former DGSI agent, begins on Tuesday, June 15, 2021. – Romain GAILLARD-POOL / SIPA
Accused of having sold confidential information on the Internet, “Haurus”, a former agent of the DGSI, explained himself during his trial which began on Tuesday. White sneakers, jeans, shirt and black mask emblazoned with the tricolor flag, the 35-year-old man, who worked in an anti-terrorism unit of the General Directorate of Internal Security, explained at the bar, in a calm and assured tone, started frequenting the darknet for work in 2017, as part of a terrorist project financing investigation.
There, on a forum, he meets a forger having “storefront”. Seduced by the idea of being able to put “butter in the spinach” while he is in debt, the investigator specializing in radical Islam begins to provide the forger, tried by his side this week in Nanterre, with real information used for the production of false administrative documents, registration card or driving license. “It took me five minutes a day (…) it didn’t seem like much to me,” he explained at the helm.
“There, it really gets out of hand”
Then comes the idea of providing more detailed information to which he has access through his work: last known address, criminal record, the person’s travel location … “There, things really go wrong.” Haurus then charges up to 300 euros for its services.
Several months later, he took his pseudonym “Haurus” and joined another forum, where from “subcontractor” he became “auto-entrepreneur”, he said, using the words of the president of the court. He runs a shop himself where he sells his information. “There was a form of distancing, during the day I was the good cop (…) and in the evening I took on the role of Haurus”.
382 illegitimate searches
At the helm, the former volunteer in the gendarmerie, who explained that he was “very marked by the attacks of 2015”, described himself as a victim of a form of “addiction” who would never have occurred. stopped by itself. But he refused that his portrait be perceived as that of the “ripou of the national police”. “Police officers who do personal research are not an urban legend,” he added.
He also recalled that he had not sold information drawn from the intelligence base of the DGSI, specifying that he had simply consulted it for personal purposes for “checks”. According to the prosecution, he carried out 382 illegitimate searches. “Ten requests may have been made for one and the same research”, he qualified, estimating the gains thus made at 30,000 euros.
His companion, two forgers and two clients among the defendants
He notably received an order, finally canceled, to find the identity of “Christelle” one of the women who accuses the Swiss Islamologist Tariq Ramadan of rape. These two people joined in the proceedings.
Also warned in this case are the companion, accused of being his accomplice, two darknet forgers and two of his clients: a private detective and a man steeped in the middle of Marseille organized crime, already imprisoned in another case. Several “orders” of the latter are particularly studied by justice, several men having been assassinated in Marseille after Haurus research on them.
Passive corruption and criminal association
This part of the case earned the police officer another indictment, in Marseille, for passive corruption and criminal association with a view to committing organized gang crimes.
Asked about this, he recalled Tuesday that he had not yet been heard at the bottom before adding: “At the time, I watch hours of beheading video” for work. “What happens in Marseille, it passes me above. We hear about the settling of scores there every day ”. In Nanterre, the trial is scheduled until Friday and the deliberation should be known at the start of the school year.