A policeman.

(Illustration) -

Caroline Girardon

  • Until February 12, eight people including six police officers are on trial in a vast corruption case based on drug trafficking in the Goutte d'Or district.

  • Brigadier Karim M. is suspected of having organized the racketeering of Goutte d'Or dealers, offering protection to those who paid for “insurance”, calling out to those who refused. 

  • He faces 10 years in prison and a fine of 1 million euros. 

At the criminal court in Paris,

As far as he can remember, Karim M. has always dreamed of being a police officer.

"To fight injustice", explains, from the box of defendants of the 16th chamber of the Paris Criminal Court, this 47-year-old former brigadier.

In June 2019, after sixteen years of a smooth career, almost exclusively spent in the anti-crime brigade (Bac) of the 18th arrondissement of Paris, the man was arrested in the early morning.

He is suspected of having organized the racketeering of Goutte d'Or dealers, offering protection to those who paid "insurance", calling out to those who refused or competed with his allies.

Five of his colleagues are also referred to this case.

“I had heard the rumors, like the whole police station.

It's no secret, ”one of them confides, straight as an“ i ”at the bar.

And to add: “It's something so big that I couldn't believe it.

"Especially since the man is very well noted by his hierarchy, even reached the rank of sergeant thanks to his good service, without going through the" competition "box.

His methods however clash, including within his group.

A former colleague, heard during the investigations, is surprised to see him systematically with several phones.

Investigators discovered six of them at his home during the searches.

"Those of the lookouts that we find on the scene of the deal", he justifies.

"Ah, the phones missing in the procedures for immediate appearance," ironically the president, the prickly Isabelle Prévost-Desprez, recalling that the investigations made it possible to establish that Karim M. regularly made use of these discreet prepaid lines.

No expense in four years

He has always denied the accusations to which he is the subject, putting forward the policy of the figure to which he was subjected.

“The instruction of the hierarchy, verbally, was to make 30 releases [arrests] per month, whatever it was.

To achieve this, the deposed policeman admits having favored drug trafficking by relying in particular on a network of informers.

Admittedly, this process is officially reserved for the judicial police, but, he assures, he had “the approval of [his] hierarchy”.

"I have not revolutionized anything in the police force even if these are reprehensible practices", he insists.

The sound system of the team's vehicle nevertheless gives a glimpse of a more complex reality where it is regularly a question of “envelopes”.

In May 2019, the police force, for example, strongly a dealer to take "insurance".

"You must have permission to open the field," insists Karim M. Heard by investigators, the latter confirmed having been approached on several occasions and that the practice would be frequent. 

The analysis of Karim M.'s lifestyle also revealed that he had not made any daily expenses or withdrawals with his credit card for four years.

All his plane tickets to Algeria - he makes regular round trips - are paid for in cash, as were the purchase and work of an on-site owned apartment, he assures. , to his parents.

Where justice suspects money laundering, explains to him that he is lucky in scratch games - "I win regularly but small gains" - and especially to receive between 800 and 1000 euros in cash per month from his father.

Why ?, the president is surprised.

“To improve my daily life and that of my family.

“Isn't that because he was actually running a hotel and a bar owned by his parents, in parallel with his activities.

He defends himself, putting forward the "duty to help his parents".

He faces ten years in prison and a million euros fine.

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  • Police

  • Racketeering

  • Justice

  • Corruption

  • Paris