Illegal cocaine laboratory in Maine-et-Loire: 10 suspects referred to Paris
Ten people were arrested this week as part of "Operation Breaking Bad", following the discovery of an illegal cocaine laboratory run by a Colombian cartel.
Ten arrests following discovery of illegal cocaine laboratory on Maine-et-Loire farm
In August 2025, gendarmes dispatched to a burglary at a farm in Chigné, in Maine-et-Loire, uncovered an illegal cocaine production laboratory. At the scene, they found gas masks, a microwave, a room equipped with UV lamps and a press, as well as three kilograms of cocaine.
More than a year after the events, "Operation Breaking Bad" resulted this week in the arrest of ten people, carried out mainly in the Paris region by the Angers research section and OFAST (Anti-narcotics Office). According to BFM TV, the suspects are suspected of having ensured the laboratory's logistics: installation of equipment and purchase of materials.
Among the ten arrested is Wahib B., a drug trafficker from the Paris region heading a major cocaine trafficking operation with the Caribbean. The ten suspects were referred Thursday evening to Paris judicial court for examination with a view to their prosecution for "drug trafficking" and "money laundering".
According to a source close to the investigation cited by BFM TV, the laboratory was run by a South American cartel, specifically Colombians. The entire operation was coordinated by OFAST. The PNACO (national organised crime prosecutor's office) is in charge of the investigation.
Source: BFM TV