This Paris drug dealing hotspot is making so much money that criminal teams are fighting for control. Despite arrests, the turnover is swift and the business continues. Six men in their twenties were charged in Paris for “drug trafficking and criminal association”. They are suspected of taking part in a lucrative cannabis trade since last July, located in the lobby of a building on Rue Riquet (XIXe). Three of them have been placed in custody, while a fourth requested a deferred hearing and two others have been placed under judicial supervision. “There have been a series of settled disputes in this area of the capital,” said a source close to the case. This violence had already led to the dismantling of a previous group of dealers, and then the ones who took over the business.
Shots fired and arrests
It was on May 31st that this popular neighborhood caught the attention of law enforcement. That night, at 8:50 PM, several residents called the police after hearing about a dozen shots in this major thoroughfare. The police arrived in force and tried to find the source of the gunfire. The surveillance cameras revealed that three hooded and gloved men entered number 66 on the street before heading down to the second basement. On site, no one was found. On the ground, they found about ten 7.62mm bullet casings and two unperforated cartridges. In a vehicle, they found a pistol, gloves, and a balaclava. Four cars were damaged by the shots. The investigation is still in the hands of the second district of the judicial police.
Ten days later, two men aged 30 and 33 were arrested and charged with drug trafficking. The first was jailed, and the second was released on bail. The justice system accused them of involvement in the drug dealing point that exclusively sells cannabis resin. “The idea was to put a stop to this trade, which was creating an atmosphere of insecurity in the neighborhood,” said a source close to the case.
But soon after, the drug dealing point was taken over by a new team. On January 30th, after weeks of surveillance, eight suspects were arrested in the neighborhood by the territorial security investigators (ST75). During the searches, more than 14 kg of cannabis resin, 44,000 euros, and two pistols were seized by the authorities. Most of the drugs were found at a man’s place who served as a nanny. He had already been convicted of murder and was still under judicial supervision as part of a kidnapping and confinement case. During their hearings, all these alleged dealers remained silent.
