Drug trafficking: what the government wants to put in place against dealers and users

The government sounds the “general mobilization” against organized crime and drug trafficking. Ministers Bruno Retailleau (Interior) and Didier Migaud (Justice) will present their plan of attack, Friday November 8, in Marseille, where the settling of scores between drug traffickers is particularly murderous and sordid, with the involvement of young people aged 14-15 years as hitmen. While the amount of seizures is enough to make one dizzy. Again this week, we are talking about 1.2 million euros intercepted in a car in the Marseille city.

A national prosecutor's office against organized crime

A lucrative trade against which the government wants to fight with the creation of an anti-organized crime prosecution which should see the light of day in the coming weeks, thus taking up a proposal made by Eric Dupond-Moretti a few months ago. This will first be prefigured by the Minister of Justice before being set in stone by the law which will be debated in Parliament from the end of January.

Investigative resources dedicated to the drug market and related illicit activities will therefore be deployed, all concentrated in a single jurisdiction to better exploit investigative technologies. “The fact of having a national prosecutor's office which would have authority over the services which are in charge of implementing these technologies, we believe that this is an extremely important step forward”welcomes Etienne Blanc, senator (LR) from Rhône and co-rapporteur of the commission of inquiry into the impact of drug trafficking in France, in the report at the top of this article.

The heritage of drug dealers in the viewfinder

A prosecution which will also be able to attack the assets of drug dealers more easily. According to information from TF1-LCI, the government wants that during an arrest, the list of real estate and bank accounts of a dealer be systematically analyzed and possibly seized to hit them in the wallet. Only downside: “Technically, there are a lot of barriers and in particular problems of international cooperation because the money from drug trafficking leaves French territory very quickly to go abroad. And there, it becomes very complicated,” admits Frédéric Ploquin, specialist in organized crime.

In addition, the prefectures have at their disposal administrative means which they are called upon to adopt more frequently, with easier conditions of use: proof of assets, ban on appearing in a neighborhood for dealers, closure of businesses suspected of money laundering. money, eviction from social housing…

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As for consumers, they will also be targeted by this plan. In the event of arrest, if a fixed fine is issued, it will appear more frequently in the criminal record. Furthermore, its amount of 200 euros today could be increased during the debate in Parliament from January 27. Furthermore, to tackle the issue of non-recovery of these fines, the option of resorting to the “third party holder” is being considered, but not yet decided.

Finally, more police resources will be allocated to the investigation services of the Anti-Narcotics Office (OFAST).