This is a major twist in the case of the “Luidgi” network, a small family business (from father to daughter) delivering cannabis, which had supplied the capital and its inner suburbs for about two years. Rémi, the father, was arrested in early April in Itacaré, in the province of Bahia, Brazil, where he lived part of the year. This 50-year-old Frenchman, presented by the prosecution as the “head of the network”, had been wanted for several months. His extradition is expected to take several weeks. On his arrival in France, he will be presented to the investigating magistrate, with a view to his indictment and his likely placement in pre-trial detention.
The juicy business of the "Luidgi" call center had been dismantled at the beginning of January by the police of the 3rd district of judicial police (DPJ), which had been put in May 2020 on the trail of a delivery man, on the basis of information . On January 5, part of the team - seven people, including Léa, the daughter - had been arrested. The small group was indicted on January 8 for its alleged participation in trafficking, as well as for criminal conspiracy and money laundering.
During her custody, Léa, described as the "right hand" of her father, had admitted to managing the traffic intermittently, by reselling bags of cannabis at 100 euros each, to some 500 Parisian customers.
To be delivered, consumers had to order via WhatsApp messaging.
"My client was not the right arm of her father, but her trusted daughter," protested Me Lucie Mongne, the young woman's lawyer, this Wednesday before the judge of freedoms and detention (JLD).
"I was just a substitute for a certain period of time," agreed Léa in her box.
The young woman, six months pregnant, saw her pretrial detention extended.
"I made the worst decision of my life"
To deliver the bags ordered by customers, Rémi called on reliable employees, also little or not known to the courts, who all needed money. In total, six delivery people have been identified by the police. They drive in sedans or scooters from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m., five to six days a week, respecting the Sunday rest. “I made the worst decision of my life doing what I did. I hurt a lot of people, ”regretted Monday one of the delivery men, Bernard, before the judge. This 52-year-old father, with a clean criminal record, "was sold mountains and wonders by Rémi," lamented his lawyer.
In police custody, Léa admitted that she was offering the services of a courier, Juan. This 52-year-old ex-waiter, with no criminal record, was recruited after falling into depression, in the wake of the November 13 attacks. “He worked a few meters from the Bataclan. Friends have been horribly mutilated. He stopped working and was tempted by the easy way out, ”explained Mr. Bruno Agid, his lawyer. Twice a month, Léa gave him 50,000 euros to collect 10 kilos of drugs in Spain, against compensation of 2,000 euros per return trip. “My client was staying in France. He has never crossed the Spanish border with a suitcase of grass ”, assures the council.
With the arrest of Rémi, the centerpiece of the traffic, it is therefore almost all the protagonists who have been apprehended. With the exception of the Spanish supplier, who remains, at this stage, still in nature.
