Brittany drug network: 9 convicted, 53 kg of cannabis and €412,000 seized
Nine members of a network supplying the Brest region with narcotics have been convicted in Rennes to sentences ranging from one to eight years in prison.
Nine dealers convicted in Rennes after the collapse of the Sky ECC network
Nine members of a drug trafficking network have been convicted between 9 and 13 December by the Rennes criminal court, La Dépêche du Midi reports. The sentences imposed range from one year to eight years imprisonment.
The group organised convoys of drugs between Spain and France to supply the Brest region. The traffickers believed they were protected by the encrypted messaging service Sky ECC, which operated similarly to WhatsApp and was considered unbreakable. Their confidence proved to be misplaced.
According to Le Télégramme, the case originates from what is considered "the biggest data breach in the history of organised crime". The exploitation of this data enabled the Organised and Specialised Crime Division of the Finistère Inter-Departmental Judicial Police Service, in collaboration with the Spanish Guardia Civil, to trace the network. The group was arrested in 2023.
At the time of arrest, investigators seized 53.5 kg of cannabis herb, 826 grammes of cocaine and €412,850 described as "criminal proceeds".
Among the nine defendants, five were convicted to sentences of between four and eight years imprisonment for organising the trafficking. Two others, involved in logistical support and money laundering of collected funds, received four years and one year imprisonment respectively.
The Republic's prosecutor specified that these sentences are "partially or wholly suspended". The convicted individuals are also subject to the confiscation of various assets — luxury vehicles and sums held in their bank accounts — totalling approximately €350,000.
Source: La Dépêche du Midi