Drug Kingpin Remains Fugitive as Trial Continues in French Court

Aboubacar S., the alleged head of the network, is still on the run in Morocco. On May 23, the public prosecutor’s office had requested 10 years in prison and a fine of 5 million euros against him. His brother Moussa, 31, is present at the trial. Considered one of the leaders of the network, he was requested 15 years in prison and a fine of seven million euros. On Monday, his lawyer Tarek Koraitem pleaded for his acquittal before the Bobigny Criminal Court, reports Le Parisien. "The prosecution takes detours citing its hypotheses and clues, the counsel asserts. But there is nothing. No proof."

The lawyer also assures that his client is not involved in this case. "He has no contact with drug suppliers. He is not on the list of betting winners. When he goes to the cafe that would be the headquarters, we don’t know what he’s saying. We see him with bags, we don’t know what they contain." What about the car rental accusations? "He is a liar who has changed versions too many times," responds Tarek Koraitem.

Several police operations carried out over a year resulted in the dismantling of this network. Three waves of arrests took place from June 2020 to April 2021. Eleven of the arrested persons are still incarcerated. Presented as one of the most thriving in Saint-Ouen, the drug dealing point on Avenue Michelet was generating up to 1.4 million euros per month.