Another explosion during the night from Monday to Tuesday in the Val district of Mont-Saint-Martin. Around 2 a.m., rue Jean-Moulin, residents were awakened by an explosion and immediately alerted the police. At the scene, the police discovered a completely destroyed car. Under the effect of the blast, the roof separated from the passenger compartment and shards of glass were thrown all around the scene. Yet another act of violence that the population, elected officials and authorities firmly condemn.
“It’s not chaos in Mont-Saint-Martin”
The mayor of Mont-Saint-Martin, Serge de Carli, assures that he will not give in to “intimidation”, wondering if these acts are the result of a turf war among dealers or attacks on vis-à-vis the municipality. This last hypothesis is dismissed out of hand, according to a source close to the investigation. The elected official recalls: “his confidence in the police” and calls for additional police resources to secure his city “located at the crossroads of borders. “. And more particularly the ZUP: “It’s not chaos in Mont-Saint-Martin. It’s just a handful of toxic individuals with cowardly actions and no message, who take advantage of the night to attack the property of modest people in a disadvantaged neighborhood.”
A place for traffickers to take
For the trade unionist, this wave of explosions is linked to drug trafficking and a turf war between rival gangs. “The latest arrests have undermined traffic and left room for new organizations with more aggressive methods. We see this through the use of explosives that are highly prized by organized crime,” believes Cyril Baudesson. “And then, we are dealing more and more with external networks who want to conquer new markets. Like that of Planoise de Besançon which was established last summer in Meurthe-et-Moselle. Due to its proximity to the Luxembourg and Belgian borders, the city of Mont-Saint-Martin is at a strategic point for the transport and importation of narcotics.”
At the Mont-Saint-Martin police headquarters, Commissioner Sébastien Emé assures that reinforcements will be deployed during this particular period with the sole objective of putting an end to these actions. Furthermore, an investigation is still underway to try to identify the perpetrators of these explosions.
