Pizzeria Owner Arrested for Drug Trafficking, Planned to Flee to Morocco

The owner of a pizzeria on the Place des Gascons, on the heights of Bayonne, is facing justice. He was arrested last Sunday, at his home, in Saint-Pierre-d’Irube. A telephone wiretap accelerated his arrest. The thirty-year-old was about to go to Morocco, where his brother is incarcerated, in order to bribe a magistrate in his favor. The investigation conducted by the "narcotics" group of the Bayonne police station revealed that he was delivering pizzas to his customers by scooter, but also doses. In total, a hundred trips were made in December and January. The "business" earns him 18,000 euros per month. During the search, the investigators seized 18,000 euros in cash and three revolvers. After his arrest, he was placed in detention.

On Thursday, the neighborhood pizzaiolo appeared in court. He asks for a delay to prepare his defense. The judges grant it to him. They then decide to postpone the case to May 2 and to keep him in detention, in order to avoid pressure on witnesses and flight to Morocco. "I no longer have any money, I’m not going to go far away," assures the defendant.