Interior Minister says France is 'winning the battle' against drug traffickers

The number of seizures of illegal drugs in France jumped in the first half of this year, French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin has told Le Figaro newspaper, saying he believes he has "won a battle" in the war against drug trafficking. 

French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin has announced that ten new "control districts" will be created in September. REUTERS

"If we consider the priorities set a year ago . . . reclaiming the streets to prevent this trafficking from undermining our neighbourhoods and villages . . . we have won a battle in this difficult and on-going war," the interior minister said in an interview published by the right-wing daily newspaper.

In the first six months of the year, 57 tonnes of cannabis were seized, 37 percent more than in the same period in 2020, which was "already a record year", according to Darmanin, who has made the fight against drugs the priority of his action.

The increase in seizures also concerns cocaine (+91 percent) with almost nine tonnes intercepted, heroin (+60 percent) and ecstasy (+24 percent).

LUTTE CONTRE LA DROGUE

Retrouvez mon interview @Le_Figaro : bilan du premier semestre 2021, avec un niveau de saisies et d’interpellations historique, et priorités pour les prochains mois, notamment un plan massif de dépistage de drogue au volanthttps://t.co/8sFJ0GXXEx

— Gérald DARMANIN (@GDarmanin) August 15, 2021

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In addition to these seizures of narcotics, the confiscation of criminal assets (houses, cars, bank accounts) amounted to 52 million euros in the first half of the year, an increase of 53 percent compared to 2020.

"It is a very hard blow against drugs, which no doubt explains the settling of scores that we are experiencing," said Darmanin, who will be travelling to Cavaillon in southern France, the scene of several shootings in recent months.

Darmanin announced the creation of ten new "control districts" in September, with reinforcements of police officers and gendarmes, to increase efforts against traffickers, after those of the Goutte d'Or in Paris, Faubourg de Béthune in Lille and Villefontaine in Isère.

The minister added that the whole of the southern port city of Marseille, where an anti-drug operation is currently carried out every two hours, is set to become a "control neighbourhood".

(With AFP)