Nearly a ton of cannabis was seized Monday evening in Lyon by the judicial police and eight people were taken into police custody, we learned on Wednesday from sources close to the case, confirming information from the Actu17 site.
The suspects are aged between their twenties and fifties.
Six were arrested while unloading the goods in a warehouse in Chasse-sur-Rhône near Lyon and two in Perpignan, where the drug suppliers were based, these sources told AFP.
In total, some 970 kg of cannabis were seized from a truck that traffickers were preparing to sell in the Lyon region.
The cargo came from Spain, one of these sources added.
Very good investigative work by the police who led to the seizure of 1 ton of cannabis, 3kgs of cocaine and the arrest of 8 individuals in Lyon.
We will continue determined action against drugs and traffickers.https://t.co/JhwAmoJBTA
— Gérald DARMANIN (@GDarmanin) March 6, 2024
“Very good investigative work by the police who led to the seizure of a ton of cannabis, 3kg of cocaine and the arrest of 8 individuals in Lyon.
We will continue determined action against drugs and traffickers,” Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said on X.
3 billion euros in turnover
The investigation had been carried out for several months by the Anti-Narcotics Office (Ofast) and the Central Office for the Fight against Organized Crime (OCLCO), under the authority of Junalco (National Jurisdiction responsible for the fight against organized crime). .
It started after the report of a team of criminals specializing in car theft.
Three kilos of cocaine and several kilos of herbal cannabis were also seized during searches of the suspects, according to Actu17.
Their custody, in the case of organized crime, can last up to 96 hours.
According to Ofast, the narcotics market generates 3 billion euros in turnover in France, represents 21,000 full-time “jobs” and 240,000 people live directly or indirectly from it.