Seizure of 529 kg of cocaine in Côte-d'Or: two men in police custody
More than half a tonne of cocaine was discovered on Monday in a vehicle in Côte-d'Or. Two men aged 35 and 42 were arrested by the BRI and the Lyon branch of Ofast.
529 kg of cocaine intercepted in Côte-d'Or during operation by BRI and Ofast
Google News FR — Crime (fr) reports that more than half a tonne of cocaine was seized on Monday 24 August in Côte-d'Or, following a joint operation conducted by the Brigade de recherche et d'intervention (BRI) and the Lyon branch of the Office anti-stupéfiants (Ofast). Two men, aged 35 and 42 and already known to police, were arrested and placed in police custody.
Surveillance began on 19 August
It all began on Wednesday 19 August, when police officers from the Lyon BRI reported to the Rhône branch of Ofast two suspicious vehicles: a private car bearing false registration plates and a utility vehicle, both suspected of being used to import narcotics from Spain.
The following Sunday, the utility vehicle was located near the Spanish border, at Perthus, in the Pyrénées-Orientales. A BRI surveillance operation, combined with the automated number plate reading system (Lapi), made it possible to identify the second vehicle: it was progressing whilst maintaining a constant distance from the utility vehicle.
Arrest in the Beaune and Gevrey-Chambertin areas
On Monday, at around 6 am, the BRI and Lyon Ofast teams moved in. The drivers of the two vehicles were arrested in Côte-d'Or, in the Beaune and Gevrey-Chambertin areas. A search of one of the vehicles revealed packets of cocaine totalling 529 kg.
Police also seized four mobile phones and 3,140 euros in cash. The two arrested men were immediately placed in police custody. According to a source close to the case, they are suspected of having organised the importation of cocaine from Spain.
Source: Google News FR — Crime (fr)