The discovery caused astonishment in the town. During a search on Sunday in Avallon, in Yonne, 70 kg of cannabis resin and nearly a kilo of cocaine were found in a house belonging to the town's mayor, Jamilah Habsaoui, but in which she didn't live. The 46-year-old councilor was placed in police custody, extended on Monday for 48 hours. She was finally examined and placed in pre-trial detention this Wednesday evening, announced the Auxerre public prosecutor's office in a press release.
The extension of police custody also concerned five other people, including two of the elected official's brothers, known to the courts for drug cases. Of these five people, four were also placed in pre-trial detention, the fifth under judicial supervision. A seventh police custody was lifted on Sunday for “medical reasons”, indicated the Auxerre prosecutor, Hughes de Phily.
“Determine everyone’s potential responsibilities”
The various left-wing mayor of this village of 6,000 inhabitants was arrested after a series of searches which led to the discovery of around 70 kg of cannabis resin, 983 g of cocaine, 7,143 euros in cash and two ingots of gold, according to the prosecution. According to our information, nearly 70 kg of cannabis resin as well as nearly a kilogram of cocaine were found in a house belonging to Jamilah Habsaoui.
Several other searches were carried out in parallel on Sunday by the gendarmes at the Avallon town hall, another at the mayor's workplace, a pharmacy, and others at the homes of her brothers. Investigators are looking into whether Jamilah Habsaoui was aware of the presence of drugs on her property, or whether the drugs had been stored without her knowledge. “We are certain that the ongoing investigation will completely exonerate the mayor of Avallon,” assured Tuesday in the columns of Yonne Républicaine the lawyer of the elected official, Me Antoine Audard.
The two additional days of police custody should thus allow them “to continue their hearings to determine the potential implications and responsibilities of each person and to carry out an inventory and analysis of the numerous seals,” the Auxerre prosecutor specified. The searches were carried out as part of the “XXL net square” operations to combat drug trafficking, launched in mid-March.