Franco-Swiss weapons trafficking: police officer among nine charged
A vast network for manufacturing and distributing military weapons has been dismantled. Twelve suspects were arrested in late June, including a civil servant suspected of accessing police files for the benefit of the group.
Franco-Swiss weapons trafficking: police officer among nine charged
Twelve people were arrested on 23 June in an operation against an arms network. Ten arrests took place in France, two in Switzerland. The authorities in the Somme, Oise and Nord departments coordinated the action with Swiss authorities and Europol.
Nine suspects were presented to magistrates three days later. They face prosecution for the illegal acquisition, production and sale of military equipment, firearms, ammunition and components classified in category A or B, within a criminal organisation. The alleged head of the group and a law enforcement officer are among this group. The latter is accused of exploiting professional databases to assist the trafficking. Both are also targeted by charges of passive corruption and receiving stolen goods.
Eight of them were placed in pre-trial detention, including the civil servant. The last one benefits from judicial supervision.
The investigation had begun in April under the authority of the Beauvais public prosecutor's office. It revealed a structure active in Oise, supplied from Switzerland and distributing its products across France. The cross-border nature of the case led to it being transferred to the JIRS in Lille.
Searches carried out on French soil resulted in the confiscation of 23 rifles and pistols, some of which were counterfeit, grenades, explosives and detonators. Investigators also seized more than one hundred thousand euros in cash and three motor vehicles.
Source: BFM TV
Source: Google News FR — Crime (fr)