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In France, a network of drone delivery companies that were active in more than fifteen French and Belgian prisons has been dismantled. Three people have been placed in pre-trial detention, the public prosecutor’s office in Tulle, France, reported on Thursday.
Thursday, December 7, 2023 at 9:03 PM
The ball started rolling after “several packages dropped using drones” were found in Uzerche prison in January, the public prosecutor’s office said. Drugs and smartphones were hidden inside. The investigation quickly revealed that a criminal team had existed since the autumn of 2022, headed by someone who centralized orders via the Snapchat account ‘drone2france’.
More than ten French prisons in various departments were supplied in this way, as were several Belgian establishments. A source close to the investigation told the AFP news agency that the deliveries mainly concerned “cigarettes and special substances”.
Last Monday, a judicial operation took place in the Paris and Hauts-de-France regions, during which eight people were arrested. Three of them were brought before the investigating judge on Thursday and remanded in custody until their trial, which is scheduled for February 1.
The trio is suspected of drug trafficking, unlawfully handing over objects to detainees, flying over prohibited areas and money laundering. These crimes carry prison sentences of up to ten years.