It was the largest seizure of masks in Ile-de-France. At the end of April, thanks to an ordinary police check, in a suburban street near the university of Saint-Denis, the local police officers surprised a transaction and discovered 100,332 surgical masks and 5,900 FFP2, or masks very similar to these models, at least.
Three weeks later, while masks continue to be imported by the millions, every day on French soil, the boxes are still at the Saint-Denis police station. And the stock more than doubled, with a new seizure, even more important.
It was the evening of May 8, and history repeated itself. Same address, same scene and almost the same actors. Police were intrigued by a new shipment near the same pavilion. 150 new boxes, filled with masks, were taken away by the police, ie 150,000 pieces counted. New record entry!
The track of an import from the Netherlands is under the microscope as part of a preliminary investigation. It is a question for the investigators of the police station of Saint-Denis to check if the interested parties could legally order these masks as they declare.
Samples analyzed in the laboratory to check the quality of the masks
"Various state departments were asked for an opinion on these masks," explains the Bobigny parquet floor, the DDPP (departmental directorate for the protection of persons, former veterinary services, editor's note) , the general directorate of the armed forces, and customs. which excluded the existence of the offense of counterfeiting. "
Samples, under seal, were sent to an approved laboratory in Isère, to find out. If the suspects are in good standing and the masks comply, they could be returned to them. In the event that an offense has been committed, and the masks comply with standards, they will be handed over to the Ile-de-France Regional Health Agency (ARS), as is regularly the case in Ile-de-France. -France since the start of the coronavirus crisis.
ARS recovers foreclosures for its strategic stock
The official distribution of masks to hospitals is managed by Santé Publique France. The ARS manages the distribution of donations.
"We have received from the prefecture of police several batches of seized health masks," confirms one at the headquarters of the ARS Ile-de-France, in the Millénaire district, in Paris (19th century ). These lots were examined upon receipt to ensure their validity, as is the case when receiving donations, then were integrated into the strategic stock allowing the agency to cope to urgent requests. To date, donations from Ile-de-France have represented 10.5 million masks, including the thousands of masks seized.
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Difficult to accurately assess the total volume of masks seized in Ile-de-France. Asked, the police prefecture did not wish to comment on these seizures, which range from a few tens of copies to several tens of thousands.
15,000 masks in an organic grocery store in March in Paris Belleville (19th century), two men referred for immediate appearance in April, in Seine-et-Marne for the sale of 7,000 masks on Le Bon Coin, or 28,000 masks seized in Aubervilliers , 3,500 others in La Courneuve, in Seine-Saint-Denis, last month…
There, the BRI (brigade of search and intervention) and local police officers had arrested three men specializing in the online sale of Chinese products, suspected of reselling lots of masks on the WhatsApp network. These products bought at 3 euros were sold for 4.50 euros, "with 10 masks offered in the case of an order greater than 300 masks," smiles a policeman. 20,000 euros and 3,500 masks were seized. The money has been placed under seal. But the masks were redirected by the prosecution to the ARS.
Courts and police can keep some of the masks for their use
Also donated to ARS headquarters, some 28,000 masks seized from a telephone wholesaler, rue Lucien-Sampaix in Paris (Xe), on April 23. For 40 euros, you could get 50 masks… While at that date, only pharmacists were still authorized to deliver masks, and only to health professionals, in accordance with the decree on the state of health emergency .
The prosecution opened an investigation for "deceptive marketing practice". The suspect will have to explain himself to the court this fall. "We gave our masks to the ARS recently, and asked that a small number be returned to us while awaiting the endowments of the Chancellery" we explained to the Paris prosecutor's office, the week before the deconfinement.
All the masks seized by the police are not handed over to the health authorities. It also depends on the quantity. "We have a verbal agreement with the prosecution, and on small cases, the masks remain in our services", testifies a senior officer of a Parisian police station who cites the example of around thirty masks.
“They were well packed, we kept them and used them. We are not trying to test them for 30 or 40 masks, it would not be profitable. If they carry a standard and do not seem to be counterfeit, we know that it will be enough within the framework of our missions. And it's always better than nothing. On the other hand, if they are sold on the run or do not seem of good quality at first glance, they are destroyed immediately. A field policeman confirms.
"To test them, we spray a spray and we check if the projections pass through"
"I wore some that we had recovered, they seemed to me as good as the ones that were delivered to us," he says. Sometimes we take one, we spray a spray, a fogger or perfume, and we see if the projections pass through, but often we don't even take these precautions. Frankly we are very badly provided with masks, the management of the supply was catastrophic during this confinement. But when you see the caregivers and their needs, you don't complain. The most important, continues this official, is that thanks to the demands of our unions, we now have the right to wear them which was not the case at the beginning. "
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