Two men aged 30 have been indicted in Paris for “trafficking and importation of drugs and criminal association”, before being detained. The public prosecutor suspects them of being involved in a cannabis trafficking operation between the United States and the Paris region. The investigation began when the Ofast investigators received information about an importation through Roissy airport. On Tuesday, officers intercepted two suspects with 125 kg of cannabis, valued at 1.2 million euros at retail price. They were taken to Nanterre for questioning, where they claimed to have been paid to transport the goods without knowing it was drugs.
The lawyer of one of them, Me Eliott Amzallag, declined to comment on the case. These two men are seen as mere executors, and so far, no leads have been found to identify their instigators.
This case is part of a growing trend. Cannabis consumed in France used to be mainly produced in Morocco and transported via Spain. Now, traffickers appear to have found new routes, with cannabis flowing in massively through Roissy airport from Canada, the United States, and Thailand.
Seizures of drugs entering the country are occurring more frequently. Recent incidents include a French passenger caught with 18kg from Bangkok, another with 20kg, a 51-year-old caught with 45kg, an 18-year-old Canadian with 40kg, and a passenger with over 47kg of cannabis. In less than a month, 170kg of cannabis were seized at Roissy airport. Authorities estimate they only capture about 10% of incoming narcotics, highlighting the scale of the issue. Prosecutors emphasize the importance of targeting drug imports and monitoring key entry points like Roissy-CDG and Orly airports as top priorities for the Paris regional jurisdiction.
[Context: Paris prosecutors are cracking down on drug trafficking through Roissy airport, with recent seizures reflecting a rising trend of cannabis importation from various countries.] [Fact Check: Authorities state that only about 10% of illegal drugs entering the country are intercepted by law enforcement, indicating a significant volume of narcotics evading detection.]
