A repeat offender, this 36-year-old Parisian transported nearly 400 kg of cannabis from Spain. He was sentenced to 8 years in prison.
Drug trafficking cases follow one another and are not necessarily alike. On June 23, 2024, Millau customs, at the Saint-Germain toll, made a catch that was unlike any other. Nearly 400 kg of cannabis resin were on board the vehicle that the agents intercepted that evening, around 11 p.m. The value was estimated at €1,271,179. The merchandise was in ten packages, covered with a sheet, in place of the removed seats.
Aware of what he is transporting from Spain, the driver accelerates and tries to escape control. The harrows stop the stolen vehicle and allow customs officers to find the loot. “They were in civilian clothes, they didn’t have armbands.”the accused tries to defend himself. Calm, with a black beard, he remains very factual in his answers. “I’m afraid of reprisals,” he hammers repeatedly. “They were in civilian clothes, with vests and armbands.”corrects the customs representative at the Rodez court, this Wednesday, September 25.
Already caught with 2 tons of cannabis
The defendant, a Parisian who will soon be 36 years old, is not new to transporting narcotics. A few years earlier, he was caught with nearly 2 tons of cannabis resin. He had been sentenced to 7 years in prison for these acts with a reduced sentence. A case that, according to him, has recently come up again. Hence this assured journey between the Paris region and Spain, accompanied by two lead cars on the return journey. “I take responsibility for what I did, he admits in court. I made a bad decision, I received threats, I lost my wife and children because of it.” He particularly mentions a debt to the people he worked for when he was caught in 2018 and identified as “logistician”of a large network. “I made a bad move, I told myself it would pass”he confesses to the prosecutor, Chérif Chabbi.
The father, however, tried to get out of drug trafficking after his release from prison. He worked until 2022, in construction, where he had a permanent contract, then as a driver, also on a permanent contract, before wanting to “to devote himself to his children and his wife.” He tries to open his own car repair business, fails and dives back into this round trip between Spain and Paris.
“There was some anticipation”
On board his car, customs officers found a GPS beacon and two sets of license plates. “There was some anticipation, the trip was well prepared, says Cherif Chabbi. This is not a simple mule. A Wolof proverb says “the goat eats where it is tied”, it is not there by chance. You know the difference between a simple mule and someone experienced. This is not a court case like the others.” This means cases of foreign drivers who often say they do not know what they are transporting when they appear in court.
“This is organized crime”supports the prosecutor. He requested a sentence of between 10 and 12 years, taking into account the defendant’s repeat offense. “He had been sentenced to seven years in a case where he was a logistician with possession of weapons, recalls Me Stanley Morris, for the defendant. What is the value of a 400 kg lift compared to that? If you had serious and consistent evidence, why didn’t you look further, particularly at the lead cars? Have you often seen network leaders at the wheel of vehicles in immediate appearance?”
The court, chaired today by Mélanie Cabal, opted for a sentence of 8 years in prison, with continued detention and a customs fine of €120,000.
