Major Cannabis Trafficking Ring on Trial in Paris: 12 Accused of Supplying French Capital

On Thursday, Chawki, 32, is being tried before the Paris Criminal Court along with ten men and one woman, aged 25 to 48, for "trafficking and importing narcotics". He is at the head of a logistics organization, which is involved in the storage and transport of cannabis in Spain on behalf of traffickers from the Costa del Sol and their clients in the Paris region. From Spain, his organization massively supplied Paris and the Île-de-France region with cannabis. These logistics operators allegedly organized an ingenious drug importation system between Creil (Oise), Paris and Spain between October 2021 and October 2022. During this period, the network ensured the transport of approximately 1.7 tons of resin worth 3.5 million euros, according to the police.

The thirty-year-old lives in opulence. "He earns between 10,000 and 15,000 euros per month. He lives in a very nice apartment with a pool with his wife and children, who attend the French private school," reports Le Parisien. It was one of his clients, Abdallah, a fan of Porsche and Audi RS4, who proposed that he invest in this cannabis logistics activity. This man was in search of manpower. "I called on my cousin and others, and quickly, I took charge of things. I set up the structure. It was easy money. Butter in the daily life. I had almost nothing to do. I set things up and managed from afar. As it wasn’t complicated, I took it lightly," he explains.

S3’s network did not only ensure the transport of narcotics on behalf of clients. It also sold cannabis for its own account. "I had a little product that belonged to me. Small quantities, 60 kilos max that I resold in Spain. But I didn’t want to take the risk of importing product beyond the border," adds the defendant.

Next week will be devoted to the prosecution’s demands, the lawyers’ pleas, and then the deliberation.