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Eleven years after a record-breaking seizure of over seven tons of cannabis in the heart of Paris, a complex case with international ramifications is set to unfold next Monday before the French judiciary. At the core of this investigation is a vast drug trafficking network originating from Morocco, routed through Spain, and involving the former head of the French anti-drug office, as reported by AFP.
Commissioner François Thierry, the former director of the Central Office for the Repression of Illicit Drug Trafficking (Ocrtis), will stand trial at the Bordeaux criminal court alongside sixteen other defendants. His chief informant, the trafficker Sophiane Hambli, is currently detained in Morocco and is not expected to attend the hearing.
The case dates back to October 2015, when customs officials uncovered 7.1 tons of cannabis resin in several vans parked on Boulevard Exelmans in Paris. This drug haul was part of a larger shipment of over ten tons imported from Morocco, under a «controlled delivery» operation orchestrated by the French anti-drug services.
According to the prosecution, this operation, codenamed «Myrmidon», allegedly overstepped legal boundaries: François Thierry is accused of facilitating the entry of the goods into France without fully informing judicial authorities. He contests this, asserting that the magistrates were aware of his methods.
The role of Sophiane Hambli, known as «The Chimera», will be pivotal during the trial. Suspected of being the mastermind behind the organized trafficking from Morocco, this repeat offender faces up to 20 years in prison.
Described as a «state scandal», this case has significantly impacted anti-drug cooperation and prompted a reform of the French system, leading to the establishment of Ofast in 2019.
