Drug Trafficking Ring with Moroccan Ties Busted in Central France

It all started with the arrest of three individuals and the seizure of 2 kg of cocaine, 10 kg of marijuana and 5 kg of cannabis resin. A fourth individual was arrested in La Chapelle-Saint-Mesmin, in the Loiret. In court, this man presents himself as a "mule", the one who has been storing the drugs since January 2024 for a trafficking allegedly directed from Morocco, reports La Nouvelle République. The drugs were found in the Mercedes Class A, at the Avionneurs rest area during a check organized by the gendarmerie and the various state services, on November 28, 2024. The merchandise comes from this Castelroussin, settled next to Orléans with his companion. "I was threatened, someone came to my house," he tells the court, explaining that his wish was to leave the traffic.

The youngest of the defendants is 19 years old. He is also from Châteauroux, and knows the "mule". The two individuals have already been victims of kidnapping, sequestration and violence in connection with drug trafficking and are accomplices. At the bar, the defendant (mule) claims that he had agreed with the 19-year-old to organize a fake theft so that the drugs and money he was storing for others would be stolen. A version contradicted by the statements of the youngest. "We were going to get some money, there was about 3,000 € for me and I offered 1,000 € on the way there and the same on the way back to J.," he recounts. The third man on trial, J., aged 34, confirms "we were going to get some money".

According to these two defendants, it was on the spot that they would have discovered the drugs and "to do it quickly", they took everything. As for the woman on trial, in a relationship with J., she claims to know nothing. According to her, she had driven, because she had a license. "I didn’t think it would come to this," she explains, insisting that she never knew what she was transporting.

None of the defendants were able to convince the court. All four defendants were found guilty. The "mule" man was sentenced to thirty-six months in prison, twelve of which were suspended on probation. He is also prohibited from contacting his co-defendants, "an additional sentence imposed on each of them". The youngest was sentenced to 24 months in prison, twelve of which were suspended on probation. The woman who was driving the car was sentenced to 12 months in prison with a suspended sentence. Her car, her phone and samples were confiscated.

The cash sums totaling 25,430 € were also confiscated. J., who was on parole, was sentenced to two years in prison, with continued detention.