The “XXL” anti-drug operation launched Monday in Marseille and Bouches-du-Rhône led to the seizure of 22 kg of narcotics, Pierre-Edouard Colliex, police prefect of the department, said on Wednesday, affirming that the operations will “continue during weeks ".
President Emmanuel Macron traveled in person on Tuesday to Castellane, a town in France's second city plagued by trafficking, promising to extend "Place net XXL" operations of the same type to the entire territory.
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Anti-drug operations in Marseille: “More than 82 arrests”, announces Macron
Since Monday, “22 kg of narcotics have been seized,” Mr. Colliex declared late Wednesday afternoon, from the city of Castellane, in the northern districts.
On Tuesday, the authorities indicated that the operation had resulted in the placement of 71 people in police custody and the seizure of four weapons and more than 385,000 euros in cash or assets.
“700 staff mobilized”
“La Castellane is one of our priorities for action”, confirmed the prefect, “but there are 13 sites where we carry out operations throughout the department”, with another “700 staff mobilized” on Wednesday .
While some dealers had assured on social networks their intention to reopen deal points on Wednesday, Mr. Colliex assured that “at Castellane today there is no return of deal points”.
He specified that the two seizures made on Wednesday in the city were "dry seizures, abandoned narcotics, hidden in cars, cellars of the city", which according to him "demonstrates that sales are no longer active, that the deal points are no longer active.
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Concerning the development of delivery sales via social networks, called “Ubershit”, Mr. Colliex recalled that “two cyber investigation groups have been created at the Marseille Anti-Narcotics Office, whose job is precisely to identify these sites, identify these sellers.
We are able to seize and question the sellers and fine the buyers.”
But “the priority today is the physical deal points”, he insisted, in order to “restore the living environment” of the residents.
The territorial war for control of the lucrative Marseille deal points has bloodied the Mediterranean city like never before in 2023, with 49 people killed including four collateral victims, and 123 people injured.
Furthermore, another anti-drug operation took place in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department, still in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (Paca) region, the prosecutor and the prosecutor indicated at a press conference. prefect.
Mobilizing some 70 police officers, it led to six arrests and the seizure of 20,000 euros, luxury watches and a revolver.