Hard blow for the brand new police station in the Pissevin district in Nîmes. Barely inaugurated, it was the target of a visibly arson fire. Six young people from the neighborhood were arrested. Could drug trafficking be behind this act? The investigation will tell…
This is a hard blow for the brand new police station located in the Pissevin district of Nîmes. Inaugurated just two days earlier, it was the target of a fire on the night of August 21 to 22. According to a source close to the investigation, the fire was started intentionally via “a massive spilling of fuel from the chimney of a neighboring butcher's shop under construction”.
The rapid intervention of the firefighters made it possible to prevent the flames from spreading to the police station and to preserve the common wall. However, the extent of the damage could postpone the official inauguration scheduled for August 26 and delay the opening to the public. Disturbing timing since this incident occurs one year to the day after the shooting death of little Fayed, 10 years old, in this same neighborhood plagued by drug trafficking.
Six arrests, already known profiles
The investigation, initially opened for “damage by dangerous means”, quickly led to the arrest of six individuals from Nîmes:
- Three adults aged 20 to 28
- Three minors aged 15, 16 and 17
All were already known to the services for acts related to drugs, said the prosecutor. The preliminary investigation is now continuing in order to establish everyone's responsibilities and understand the motivations behind this act.
A neighborhood under high tension
The Pissevin district, classified as a priority security zone, concentrates many difficulties. Poverty, unemployment, school failure but also trafficking of all kinds undermine the daily lives of residents. The establishment of this police station, decided after the tragic death of Fayed, aimed precisely to restore calm and stem traffic.
We have questions as to whether this fire is consistent with the opening of this joint station yesterday. What's strange is that we have a fire which starts from an unoccupied butcher's shop and which adjoins the station opened yesterday. We ask ourselves questions.
Richard Schieven, Nîmes security deputy
The authorities therefore do not exclude the criminal trail and a link with the traffickers who took a dim view of the arrival of the police at the heart of their area of action. A hypothesis reinforced by the profile of the arrested suspects.
A message sent to traffickers
Despite this incident, the municipality and the police ensure that their determination remains intact. They intend to continue their efforts to bring serenity to the neighborhood and allow residents to live in peace.
However, this event shows the scale of the challenge facing criminal networks ready to do anything to defend their interests. The fight promises to be long but essential to return Pissevin to the people of Nîmes and offer a future to the younger generations.
Once is not customary, this time it was a fire that was set alight in this high tension neighborhood. It remains to be hoped that the flames of discord will be extinguished to give way to the light of hope. A hope named Pissevin.
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