The day after his interview with the Minister of Justice, Didier Migaud. Etienne Blanc (LR), co-author, with Jérôme Durain (PS), of a proposed law “aimed at getting France out of the trap of drug trafficking”, is optimistic about the future of this text, judged “as a priority by the government “. In recent weeks, an arbitration was underway between Beauvau and the Chancellery regarding the advisability of taking up the Senate text, a legislative variation of the 35 recommendations of the Senate commission of inquiry chaired by Jérôme Durain and whose rapporteur was Etienne Blanc. The other option consisted of incorporating, in a bill, the proposals of Éric Dupond-Moretti formulated before his departure from the Chancellery. “We are heading towards the resumption of our bill enriched by amendments from the government,” confirms Etienne Blanc and specifies that its examination in Parliament will arrive at the earliest in December and more likely in January.
“Legally blinded”
Friday in Marseille, the Minister of the Interior, Bruno Retailleau and the Minister of Justice will present the government’s plan intended to combat drug trafficking, considered a “growing and extremely serious” threat and which requires a “very firm response from the State », declared this Tuesday, Didier Migaud on Franceinfo.
The minister stressed that he was “totally in line” with his colleague from the Interior, confirming that he was “open to proposals” resulting from the “considerable work” done by the Senate commission of inquiry.
“We agreed with the minister that we had to arm ourselves legally in order to be irreproachable both in terms of constitutionality and conventionality,” specifies Etienne Blanc, who mentions in particular the new status of repentant or even civilian infiltrators. . The Senate text proposes, in fact, to remove the “locks” of the repentant status to make it a powerful tool in the fight against drug trafficking. That is to say that people involved in offenses or crimes could integrate this status, subject to respecting strict conditions, which is not currently the case (read our article).
Same thing for informants that the Senate would like to transform into civilian infiltrators (as distinct from undercover police officers or gendarmes) in return for complete criminal immunity.
“Drug trafficking is the matrix of organized crime”
Asked about the question of creating a new national prosecutor’s office dedicated to the fight against drug trafficking and organized crime as envisaged by his predecessor, Éric Dupond-Moretti, Didier Migaud said he was “in favor of an organization which makes it possible to fight against this scourge”, adding that “the national prosecutor’s office can absolutely be a solution”. It remains to be seen the perimeter of this flooring. The senators want the creation of a national anti-narcotics prosecutor’s office (Pnast), the judicial equivalent of the Anti-narcotics Office (Ofast), transformed under their pen into a “French-style DEA” (the American drug control agency, editor’s note). Before his departure from the Chancellery, Éric Dupond-Moretti offered him a new national anti-organized crime prosecutor’s office (Pnaco).
“Drug trafficking is the matrix of organized crime. We need a national prosecutor’s office that coordinates the two. Pending the adoption of a law, the Chancellery can issue a circular to coordinate the action of the JIRS (interregional jurisdictions specializing in the fight against crime and organized delinquency), explains Senator LR who recalls the “urgency” to act.
