Two 30-year-old men were indicted on Friday in Paris for “drug trafficking and importation of narcotics and criminal association,” before being jailed.
The Paris regional court suspects them of participating 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 followed the package’s arrival. Arriving in Saint-Denis, they arrested two suspects with 125 kg of cannabis worth 1.2 million euros at retail price. They were taken to Nanterre for questioning. During their interrogation, they claimed they were paid to transport the merchandise without knowing it was drugs.
Their lawyer, Me Eliott Amzallag, declined to comment on the case. These two men are only mere executors, and as of now, no leads have been found to identify the masterminds behind the operation.
This case is part of a growing trend. Cannabis consumed in France was previously mainly produced in Morocco and transported via Spain by road. Today, traffickers seem to have opened new routes. Cannabis is now arriving massively through Roissy airport from Canada, the United States, and Thailand.
Seizures of drugs are multiplying, with approximately 10% of incoming products being confiscated by authorities. The Paris prosecutor, Laure Beccuau, highlights the importance of combating drug importation and monitoring entry points such as Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle and Orly airports in the Paris region.
