It is a phenomenon that gained momentum during confinement, and which continues today: drug dealers no longer hesitate to deliver their goods by post.
A new trend which forces the police and customs to adapt their tools, especially as the fight against trafficking has been made a priority by the government.
Like a letter in the mail ... We knew about home drug deliveries.
But now, traffickers no longer hesitate to send their products… by mail!
A new trend that is accentuating, according to specialized investigators, even though the government, which is doing its back-to-school seminar on Wednesday, has made security and the fight against drug trafficking a priority.
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This new practice was born during confinement, when it was impossible to transport drugs without being checked on deserted roads.
So the traffickers opted for the simplest solution: the parcel post.
And it continues.
In envelopes or in small packages, they import from Spain, the West Indies, the Netherlands or Africa: cannabis, cocaine, synthetic drugs or even khat.
Three weeks ago, at Orly airport, customs officers intercepted 4 packages shipped from Martinique: in total, 5 and a half kilos of cocaine, for which two suspects were arrested.
The traffickers "take advantage of the mass of mail and parcels generated by online commerce"
These customs interceptions are targeted, very often thanks to intelligence.
But overall, traffickers "take advantage of the mass of mail and parcels generated by online commerce", explains an official of OFAST, the anti-narcotics office, which had to set up a special section on these new vectors, in order to trace them back to the senders.
In this growing volume of postal freight, sorting centers or express carriers cannot control the content of packages, emphasizes OFAST.
Only customs have the right to do so.
This is how she seized 625 kg of cannabis and 325 kg of cocaine from couriers last year.