France extradites him from Morocco for 500 kg of cannabis… then releases him by mistake

An administrative error has just secured the freedom of a man suspected of being one of the masterminds behind a major cannabis trafficking operation. Nicknamed “Toto,” Yassin A., 42, was released on Tuesday by the Paris Court of Appeals’ investigating chamber, reports Le Parisien.

The court registry allegedly attached the wrong notice of appeal. As the error was not detected, the justice system was unable to examine the case within the deadlines imposed by law. This delay led to the suspect’s release; he had been held since 15 August 2025.

This decision does not end the proceedings. Yassin A. remains under judicial supervision and is subject to a ban on leaving French territory. He is expected to appear, along with five other defendants, before the Paris Criminal Court for drug trafficking and importation, as well as criminal conspiracy.

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The man had been arrested in Morocco on 13 February 2025 on the basis of an arrest warrant issued as part of an investigation opened in 2022. Extradited to France, he was placed under formal investigation and then remanded in custody. His criminal record includes nine convictions, including a five-year prison sentence for drug trafficking.

Fifteen “Moroccan suitcases” in the truck

The case dates back to 12 November 2022. Customs officers had followed a truck traveling on the A71 motorway and preceded by a Toyota Yaris. The convoy continued on to a dead-end street in Chilly-Mazarin, in Essonne, where two vans joined it.

During the operation, the officers discovered fifteen “Moroccan suitcases” in the trailer, each containing approximately 37.5 kg of cannabis resin. The shipment, estimated at nearly two million euros, thus exceeded half a tonne. Four suspects were arrested at the scene.

The driver explained that he had received 1,000 euros to drive the truck from Malaga. Analysis of the phones subsequently revealed several pseudonyms, including “Rolls-Royce,” “ZZ” and “Toto,” whom investigators identified as one of the men directing the operation.

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Yassin A. disputes this portrayal. He claims that his involvement was limited to “leading the way” from Spain, a mission that was supposed to earn him 2,000 euros. Investigators nevertheless traced several trips between France and Spain in 2022, as well as journeys to Morocco via the port of Tangier.

The forty-something, born in Pas-de-Calais, says he lived in the Iberian Peninsula and owns an apartment in Marrakech rented out on Airbnb.