Three people were placed Monday, December 18 in pre-trial detention in France and three Portuguese nationals arrested in Lisbon were to be handed over to the French justice in an investigation into an international trafficking of cocaine from Brazil, we learned Tuesday from judicial sources.
The investigation had begun on May 26, 2022 in La Rochelle, on the French Atlantic coast, after customs discovered three bales containing 124.28 kg of cocaine in a water tank of the Liberian-flagged vessel "Great Sea", carrying paper pulp from Brazil, Philippe Astruc announced in a statement, Public Prosecutor of Rennes (west), where the investigation was conducted by the Specialized Interregional Jurisdiction (JIRS).
'Toslim down the French market'
The investigation made it possible "to highlight the arrival in France, at the port of La Rochelle, before the docking of the "Great Sea", of two other ships from Brazil having also contained cocaine," added Philippe Astruc. "The logistics management was at European level in order to supply distribution channels in France and Portugal. The purpose of the seized goods was to supply the French market.
»Six people were arrested on 12 December, two in Marseille and one in Nice (south), and three in Lisbon (Portugal). Another suspect, originally from Marseilles and detained for other offences, was taken from the prison and subsequently summoned to appear before the investigating judge.
European Arrest Warrants
According to the statement, searches led to the seizure of "several watches and luxury vehicles, as well as ammunition for category B and C weapons" (categories that include handguns, rifles,...). In Lisbon, the sum of 125,000 euros in cash was discovered in a villa attributed to the main protagonist, a high-value vehicle and a boat. The four defendants in France are French nationals and between 20 and 42 years old.
Two of them were remanded in custody, the third asked for additional time to prepare his defense and was remanded in custody pending this hearing set for December 21, 2023, the prosecutor said. "European arrest warrants have been issued for the three Portuguese nationals, men aged between 45 and 65. Their handing over to the French investigating magistrate is in progress," he added.