French police arrest 15 for drug trafficking near Olympic village

The arrests took place at a dealing point that police have been monitoring in the run-up to the Olympic Games, according to a police source, as police have increased their operations in the lead up to July 26, expecting a spike in crimes during the Games.

Published on May 29, 2024, at 12:38 pm (Paris), updated on May 29, 2024, at 12:49 pm Le Monde with AFP

Visual Story

'Paid trip to Paris, easy airport check, it's like a vacation': In French Guiana, the evolution of cocaine trafficking networks

Félix-Eboué airport in Cayenne, the gateway for 'mules' transporting cocaine to mainland France, has become a drug hub in the Amazon, and the scene of a battle between traffickers and the authorities.

Published on May 27, 2024, at 8:30 pm (Paris) Florence Aubenas infographic

Visual Story

'We counted the bodies around us': Narcotics Anonymous, the return from hell of ordinary people

Overdose. France under the influence | Across France, some 2,000 people damaged by drugs attend the discussion groups to help them overcome their addiction.

Published on May 20, 2024, at 5:00 am (Paris), updated on May 30, 2024, at 5:41 pm Ivanne Trippenbach infographic

News

US moves to reclassify marijuana in historic shift

President Joe Biden called the proposal an important move toward reversing longstanding inequities, and it's one that could boost his popularity among younger voters.

Published on May 16, 2024, at 8:28 pm (Paris), updated on May 17, 2024, at 8:09 am Le Monde with AP

In Depth

French prisons vulnerable in the face of drug trafficking

The attack on a French prison van on Tuesday, in which two officers were killed, has highlighted the difficulties faced by prison administration in dealing with large-scale drug traffickers.

Published on May 16, 2024, at 8:00 pm (Paris), updated on May 17, 2024, at 8:27 am Thomas Saintourens

In Depth

Who is Mohamed Amra, the dangerous drug trafficker who escaped from a prison van leaving two officers dead?

The drug trafficker's spectacular escape also left three people seriously injured. Prison labor unions have called for blocking prisons on Wednesday.

Published on May 15, 2024, at 4:11 am (Paris), updated on May 16, 2024, at 11:28 am Antoine Albertini Samuel Laurent

News

Italian police announce raids and seizures against 'Ndrangheta and Albanian drug networks

In two separate major operations, Italian Carabinieri arrested 142 suspected members of the Calabrian 'Ndrangheta mafia, and, in Turin, also seized 'a small remote-controlled submarine' used by an international Italian-Albanian network to transport drugs.

Published on May 14, 2024, at 6:07 pm (Paris) Le Monde with AFP

News

French senators warn that France is 'submerged by drug trafficking'

After six months of investigation, a report by a Sénat committee on drug trafficking published its conclusions on Tuesday, May 14. It presents a worrying assessment of the situation, along with proposals for reform.

Published on May 14, 2024, at 11:08 am (Paris) Simon Piel Antoine Albertini Thomas Saintourens

Visual Story

Teenage killers, drug trafficking's lost generation

Overdose. France under the influence | Part 7. The more powerful drug traffickers become, the more they're able to subcontract the murder of rivals to an easily exploitable workforce, as in the high-profile 'Popincourt' case in Paris.

Published on May 8, 2024, at 12:00 pm (Paris) Lorraine de Foucher infographic

Visual Story

How Dubai became a safe haven for drug traffickers

Overdose. France under the influence | Part 6. A paradise for opaque finances and a mecca for those with money to burn, the Emirate has everything it takes to please high-level drug traffickers, who flock there to put their feet up.

Published on May 6, 2024, at 4:49 pm (Paris) Thomas Saintourens Luc Leroux infographic

Visual Story

A drug trafficker comes clean: 'I know I'm dead, they're going to put contracts all over my head'

For two years, Kamel worked for one of France's biggest drug traffickers, Abdelkader Bouguettaia, alias 'Bibi.' Arrested after a container was searched in the port of Le Havre, he has provided investigators with an avalanche of information.

Published on May 4, 2024, at 12:01 pm (Paris) Nicolas Chapuis Thomas Saintourens infographic

Visual Story

Drugs in Paris: The leak that implicated a police chief

Overdose. France under the influence | Part 4. Le Monde learned that a highly experienced chief brigadier, who for a long time was in charge of narcotics in the Paris suburbs, is suspected of having colluded with major drug traffickers.

Published on May 3, 2024, at 10:13 am (Paris), updated on May 3, 2024, at 12:35 pm Luc Bronner infographic

Visual Story

Uber Narcos

Customer service, franchises, discounts – using the same model as food deliveries, home drug delivery has rapidly developed in France.

Published on May 2, 2024, at 5:48 pm (Paris) Alexandre Kauffmann infographic

Visual Story

A deep dive into a small narcotics business

Overdose. France under the influence | Part 2. For months, police discreetly surveilled a major dealing spot in a northern suburb of Paris. Le Monde takes you behind the scenes of the investigation, revealing the inside workings of a drug-dealing business.

Published on May 1, 2024, at 12:16 pm (Paris), updated on May 2, 2024, at 12:20 pm Luc Bronner infographic

News

Biden administration to reclassify marijuana as lower-risk drug

The issue is seen as a potential vote winner for the American president as he faces Republican Donald Trump in a tough election rematch this November, especially among younger people whom the Democratic incumbent is struggling to court.

Published on May 1, 2024, at 2:14 am (Paris), updated on May 1, 2024, at 9:42 am Le Monde with AFP

Visual Story

Video investigation: The new methods of drug traffickers in France

To understand how hundreds of kilos of cocaine arrive at French ports, Le Monde investigated a drug trafficking network that had almost everything it needed to succeed: shell companies, false identities and chemists. But several mistakes led to its downfall.

Published on April 30, 2024, at 7:00 pm (Paris), updated on May 1, 2024, at 12:08 pm Liselotte Mas, Marceau Bretonnier, Simon Piel, Thomas Saintourens, Le Monde's video investigation team and Sinead McCausland infographic

Visual Story

Drug trafficking is disruptive to our societies and a threat to our democracies

France has become a crossroads for drug routes. To chronicle this shift, Le Monde is publishing project 'Overdose,' consisting of several investigations documenting drug importation into the country, the way they are sold and consumed, and their social and health damage.

Published on April 30, 2024, at 12:39 pm (Paris) Le Monde infographic

Visual Story

Cons, Covid and cocaine: The fall of the 'sugar cartel'

Overdose. France under the influence | Part 1. An investigation by Le Monde has found that French and Colombian drug traffickers mastered a game-changing process for smuggling narcotics into Europe, by chemically infusing sugar with cocaine.

Published on April 30, 2024, at 12:33 pm (Paris), updated on April 30, 2024, at 1:10 pm Liselotte Mas Simon Piel Thomas Saintourens infographic

News

In Canada, British Columbia will make changes to its drug decriminalization policy

The province is asking the federal government to make illicit drug use illegal in all public spaces, including inside hospitals, on transit, and in parks.

Published on April 27, 2024, at 5:19 am (Paris) Le Monde with AP

News analysis

In Germany, the legalization of cannabis faces implementation challenges

Enacted in haste and without the necessary preparation to deal with its legal and law enforcement ramifications, the law leaves many questions unanswered.

Published on April 18, 2024, at 2:00 am (Paris), updated on April 18, 2024, at 9:50 am Thomas Wieder

Op-Ed

Cannabis: 'The time has come to debate how best to regulate the market within a legal framework'

The legalization of cannabis in Germany is unlikely to eradicate the black market for it, as it will not allow for production in sufficient quantities to meet demand, writes health economist Pierre-Yves Geoffard.

Published on April 9, 2024, at 4:00 pm (Paris) Pierre-Yves Geoffard

Video

Germans celebrate legalization of recreational cannabis

As of Monday, April 1, recreational cannabis consumption is now legal for adults in Germany.

Published on April 1, 2024, at 1:01 pm (Paris) Le Monde's video desk 01:06

News

Germany becomes largest EU country to legalize cannabis for recreational use

Under the first step in the much-debated new law, adults over 18 are now allowed to carry 25 grams of dried cannabis and cultivate up to three marijuana plants at home.

Published on April 1, 2024, at 10:10 am (Paris), updated on April 1, 2024, at 10:14 am Le Monde with AFP

Feature

Drug trafficking and gang violence on the rise in Brussels

The Belgian capital is said to have become a hub for drugs coming from Antwerp. Shootings have proliferated in recent months.

Published on March 15, 2024, at 7:00 am (Paris) Jean-Pierre Stroobants

News

Leader of Marseille's 'Yoda' drug gang arrested in Morocco

Félix Bingui, the leader one of the two main gangs in the southern French city, was arrested in Casablanca, French authorities said.

Published on March 9, 2024, at 4:23 pm (Paris) Le Monde with AFP

In Depth

Drug trafficking: The new routes for cocaine deliveries on France's Atlantic coast

Bales of drugs have been washing up on the beaches of western France at an unprecedented rate in recent months. To avoid major ports, traffickers are increasingly resorting to 'drop-offs,' which are intended to be picked up by a second boat.

Published on February 3, 2024, at 1:00 am (Paris) Thomas Saintourens

News

Bolivia has become a 'strategic hub' for cocaine trafficking

Traditionally a producer of coca leaf, in just a few years the country has become a producer of cocaine. The reorganization of drug trafficking routes has made the country's geography an asset for traffickers.

Published on January 20, 2024, at 3:49 am (Paris), updated on January 20, 2024, at 9:15 am Amanda Chaparro

In Depth

Children are the new victims of the fentanyl epidemic in the US

This synthetic opiate, which has already caused a wave of deaths in California, is now leading to deadly overdoses in children under five due to its fumes.

Published on December 29, 2023, at 3:10 am (Paris) Corine Lesnes

In Depth

Drug crime: 2023 was Marseille's deadliest year

On Thursday, Marseille's public prosecutor reported an 'all-time high' of 47 deaths and 118 injuries related to drug trafficking. Victims and perpetrators are becoming ever younger, with child runners and 'errand boys' paying a heavy price. The number of women operating in the trafficking networks is also increasing.

Published on December 27, 2023, at 3:38 am (Paris), updated on December 27, 2023, at 2:50 pm Luc Leroux

News

Biden pardons thousands convicted of marijuana charges

No federal prisoners are eligible for release as a result of Friday's action, but the pardons were meant to help thousands overcome obstacles to renting a home or finding a job.

Published on December 22, 2023, at 6:50 pm (Paris), updated on December 22, 2023, at 8:59 pm Le Monde with AP

Investigation

Drug mega-trial set to lift curtain on European trafficking

The drug trafficking trial held in Brussels from Monday, with 125 defendants of 15 different nationalities and a reinforced concrete bunker courthouse, is expected to last up to five months.

Published on December 18, 2023, at 6:18 pm (Paris), updated on December 19, 2023, at 7:34 am Thomas Saintourens Jean-Pierre Stroobants

Investigation

From Mexico's Sinaloa to the skyscrapers of Dubai, the art of laundering fentanyl money

Bertrand Monnet, a business professor and a specialist in crime economics, conducted a field study into the trafficking of this devastating opioid. He explains how the Mexican Sinaloa cartel launders its enormous profits in the emirate.

Published on December 8, 2023, at 5:30 am (Paris), updated on December 8, 2023, at 9:22 am Bertrand Monnet

Interview

Fentanyl trafficking: 'Europe and the US must pressure banking havens that are essential for the cartels to launder their billions'

Bertrand Monnet's investigation into fentanyl trafficking by Mexican cartels was published as Le Monde's three-part video series 'Narco Business.' The business school professor answered viewers' questions.

Published on December 6, 2023, at 12:13 pm (Paris), updated on December 6, 2023, at 1:33 pm Bertrand Monnet

Interview

'Drug trafficking is a war that must be addressed in the political debate'

Belgium's new national drugs commissioner Ine Van Wymersch warns that the port of Antwerp has become the epicenter for cocaine arrivals in Europe. She argues that the fight against drugs must be conducted on a European scale.

Published on December 6, 2023, at 5:00 am (Paris) Thomas Saintourens Jean-Pierre Stroobants

Editorial

France's anti-drug strategy must be reassessed urgently and include Europe

The narcotics market is booming in France and Europe. This worsening situation threatens the equilibrium of democratic societies. Drug trafficking must be fought more strategically and on a European scale.

Published on December 4, 2023, at 12:35 pm (Paris) Le Monde

Video

How to launder $50 million in Dubai: Watch the third episode of Narco Business

Bertrand Monnet, a business professor, spent two years filming every stage of the Sinaloa cartel's business model in Mexico for Le Monde. In this third episode, the narcos and their financial advisors meet in Dubai to launder millions of dollars.

Published on December 3, 2023, at 6:00 pm (Paris), updated on January 16, 2024, at 2:50 pm Bertrand Monnet, Pablo Teyssier-Verger, Adrien Vande Casteele, Marceau Bretonnier, Asia Balluffier, Charles-Henry Groult, Stéphane Oiry and Sinead McCausland

Feature

Liberia's youth shattered by another war: Drugs

In this West African country scarred by 14 years of civil war (1990-2003), drug use has skyrocketed. Authorities are taking stock of the extent of the crisis, but a lack of health facilities is hampering treatment efforts for users.

Published on November 24, 2023, at 6:00 pm (Paris) Coumba Kane

Video investigation

From a Mexican cartel to the streets of New York: A deep dive into the business of fentanyl

For two years, Bertrand Monnet, an expert in the economics of crime, filmed every stage of the Sinaloa cartel's business model in Mexico. In this second episode of Narco Business, Le Monde looks into the cartel's well-oiled organization for selling fentanyl.

Published on November 17, 2023, at 8:08 pm (Paris), updated on December 3, 2023, at 2:08 pm Bertrand Monnet, Charles-Henry Groult, Pablo Teyssier-Verger, Marceau Bretonnier and Sinead McCausland

Video

Inside the labs that manufacture fentanyl: Watch the first episode of 'Narco Business'

For two years, Bertrand Monnet, a French business school professor and specialist in the economics of crime, filmed every stage of the notorious Sinaloa cartel's business model in Mexico exclusively for Le Monde. In this first installment, we take an unprecedented dive into the laboratories behind M30, the fentanyl pill that is causing havoc in the United States.

Published on November 7, 2023, at 5:57 am (Paris), updated on November 27, 2023, at 9:11 pm Bertrand Monnet, Charles-Henry Groult, Pablo Teyssier-Verger, Marceau Bretonnier and Sinead McCausland

Investigation

The scourge of drone deliveries to French prisons

Criminal networks are increasingly using remote-controlled drones to deliver goods such as knives, cell phones and drugs to inmates. This practice is causing concern for French prison authorities.

Published on October 29, 2023, at 4:17 pm (Paris) Abel Mestre Thomas Saintourens

News

Opioid crisis: US bankruptcy law reduces victims' compensation

After declaring bankruptcy, Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals, originally slated to compensate victims with $1.7 billion, will now only pay out $700 million.

Published on October 12, 2023, at 1:08 am (Paris), updated on October 12, 2023, at 8:10 am Corine Lesnes

News analysis

Rethinking France's battle against drug trafficking beyond repression

Decades of fighting the war on drugs have not curbed drug trafficking, which remains rampant. France must reevaluate its strategy to avoid a crisis like the opioid epidemic in the United States.

Published on September 28, 2023, at 2:36 am (Paris) Thomas Saintourens

In Depth

In Côte d'Ivoire, the hunt for 'gaddafi,' the latest hype drug for young people

Popularized by a song by the group 100 Papo and social media sites, the mixture of Tramaking and alcohol is spreading to the poorest neighborhoods.

Published on September 22, 2023, at 5:40 am (Paris) Marine Jeannin

Interview

US opioid crisis: 'Overdoses are among the leading causes of death in several age categories'

Epidemiologist Chelsea Shover discusses a new report about the recent findings on the opioid scourge that's ravaging the United States, more than two decades after the first wave of opioid deaths.

Published on September 20, 2023, at 5:25 pm (Paris) Nathaniel Herzberg

News

Methamphetamine takes over from heroin in Afghanistan

With the Taliban introducing a strict ban on opium cultivation, the country has seen an explosion in the trafficking of crystal meth, a highly addictive synthetic drug.

Published on September 14, 2023, at 3:00 pm (Paris) Jacques Follorou

In Depth

Shooting victims are collateral damage in Marseille's drug wars

Forty-four people have been killed since the beginning of the year in cases linked to drug trafficking in the Mediterranean French city, with the latest victim a 24-year-old woman killed at home by a 'stray bullet'.

Published on September 14, 2023, at 12:09 pm (Paris) Luc Leroux

News

Former tennis No. 1 Halep suspended for doping violations

An independent tribunal determined the 31-year-old Romanian had committed 'intentional' anti-doping violations and handed her a four-year ban.

Published on September 12, 2023, at 5:38 pm (Paris), updated on September 12, 2023, at 7:14 pm Le Monde with AFP

News

Ecuador engulfed by drug-trafficking violence

The reorganization of cocaine networks has led to an explosion in the number of homicides. The first round of presidential and early legislative elections will be held on Sunday in a country traumatized by the assassination of a candidate.

Published on August 20, 2023, at 5:31 am (Paris), updated on September 3, 2023, at 1:58 pm Marie Delcas

Long Read

Young defendants sentenced to jail for trafficking adulterated heroin in Saint-Denis

Six people appeared before a court for selling a product cut with highly potent synthetic cannabinoids that led to a series of non-fatal overdoses.

Published on August 6, 2023, at 12:38 am (Paris), updated on August 6, 2023, at 2:58 pm Henri Seckel

Feature

In Colombia, the process of converting coca growers remains difficult

In Guaviare, which used to be the heart of coca production, farmers never received the aid promised to them in 2016 when a peace agreement with the FARC guerrillas was signed.

Published on August 1, 2023, at 2:45 am (Paris), updated on September 4, 2023, at 10:22 am Marie Delcas

News

Montreal hit hard by destructive fentanyl use

Since the Covid-19 pandemic, the Canadian city has sunk deeper into a public health crisis due to an explosion in the number of fentanyl overdoses.

Published on July 27, 2023, at 11:36 pm (Paris), updated on July 28, 2023, at 2:13 pm Etienne de Metz