Drug seizures up 26%: gendarmes intensify checks in Deauville
The gendarmes are stepping up patrols in seaside resorts this summer, with drug seizures up 25.9% since the start of 2026.
Deauville under surveillance: gendarmerie cracks down on drugs along Normandy coast
According to Google News FR — Crime (fr), drug seizures have surged 25.9% since the start of 2026. During the summer season, the gendarmerie maintains pressure on drug users in French seaside resorts, with Deauville in Calvados serving as an emblematic example of this reinforced operation.
On the promenade, two plain-clothes gendarmes discreetly observe the comings and goings of tourists. Their mission: to identify potential drug users and alert their uniformed colleagues stationed nearby. A couple is suspected of smoking cannabis. The woman involved claims it was CBD, a tolerated substance. She is nonetheless not spared a fine of 135 euros: for the past year, smoking on French beaches has been prohibited. "It's not serious. At least, it serves as a warning for me," she said after receiving her ticket.
The Paris-Deauville route in the crosshairs
Deauville sees its population multiply by eight during summer. Amongst the flow of holidaymakers, law enforcement has identified a major trafficking vector: trains from Paris. The gendarmes board crowded trains, a sniffer dog weaving between passengers. In less than an hour, five fines of 200 euros were issued for drug possession.
The seizures are not limited to cannabis or CBD alone. Chief Warrant Officer Cédric Moulin, from Caen's canine investigation unit, describes a concerning shift in the profile of seizures: "Regularly, we find cocaine, ketamine and a little heroin. That was not the case at all before." Synthetic drugs have now become part of the products intercepted with increasing frequency.
Airport checks and dismantling of trafficking networks
The operation extends beyond beaches and train stations. At Deauville airport, gendarmes intercepted a suspicious bag at the exit from a flight from Malaga, Spain. The sniffer dog flagged the suitcase, which was taken for inspection. Inside, residues of substances were discovered and subjected to identification tests.
Gendarmerie personnel are systematically reinforced during the summer period to cope with the influx of tourists. In less than a year, Deauville's gendarmerie company has dismantled three drug trafficking networks, with seizures ranging from 4 kilogrammes to 31 kilogrammes.
Source: Google News FR — Crime (fr)