Cocaine trafficking in Guadeloupe: five young men tried in Pointe-à-Pitre
Five men aged 24 to 28 appeared for drug trafficking between Guadeloupe and mainland France. Sentences of up to 5 years' imprisonment were requested.
Cocaine, jet-ski and debts: portrait of a network of low-level operatives tried in Guadeloupe
Five young men aged 24 to 28 appeared on Tuesday 2 June before the correctional court in Pointe-à-Pitre for drug trafficking. According to la1ere.franceinfo.fr, the case concerns a cocaine and cannabis network active in Guadeloupe from February to September 2024, with connections extending to mainland France. Cousins, former secondary school classmates or simply neighbourhood acquaintances, none of the accused fit the profile of major organised crime.
At the bar, the stated motivations are forthright. "I wanted to make a bit of money," one of the accused let slip. Another describes how the lifestyle of someone close to him dragged him into the situation: "I saw his Audi Q5, his jet-ski… And you, you're there, you've got nothing, you're struggling." The five men are being prosecuted for transport, possession, unauthorised supply or transfer of drugs.
Maël A., 26 years old, identified as the network's head
At the heart of the case is Maël A., 26 years old, presented by investigators as the instigator. At the time of the offences, he was undergoing on-the-job training in the mechanics sector with a major airline company — a stable position with professional prospects. However, his lifestyle raised questions with investigators: Audi Q5, TMax, jet-ski. During searches carried out at his home in Sainte-Anne, gendarmes found several valuable pieces of jewellery as well as a bulletproof vest. Since the start of proceedings, Maël A. has denied all accusations.
12.74 kilos seized at the airport
On 21 September 2024, Dylan T., Maël A.'s former BTS classmate and key piece of evidence in the case, was intercepted at the airport as he was about to board a flight to Paris at 18:00. In his two bags, customs officials discovered 12 blocks of cocaine hidden in boxes of household appliances and in a carboy of rum. The seizure totalled 12.74 kilos — presented by the public prosecutor as one of the three largest seizures made by Guadeloupe customs among the 48 drug couriers intercepted that year.
Facing the court, Dylan T. admits to accepting the journey, motivated by 20,000 euros in debts and the promise of 10,000 euros to transport what he believed to be two kilos. The plane ticket, costing 700 euros, was reportedly paid for by the network's head.
"I trusted him, I shouldn't have… When the customs officers opened the suitcase, the friendship ended."
He claims he only discovered the actual amount — 12 kilos — at the moment of his arrest. Maël A. categorically rejects this version: "I never gave him a suitcase. I am not involved."
Cannabis plants in Sainte-Anne and Saint-François
By tracing telephone contacts, notably via Snapchat, the investigation led gendarmes to two plots of land situated in Sainte-Anne and Saint-François. On the spots, 102 cannabis plants were discovered. Three other accused then entered the case, described as "gardeners" tasked with maintaining the plantations, watering the crops and surveying the plots.
At the hearing, the roles were downplayed. One insisted he had only "helped out buying soil and fertiliser". Another indicated he went there "from time to time, not necessarily every day". The third claimed he had acted for his own personal consumption.
Promises rarely kept
One observation ran through the entire proceedings: apart from the presumed instigator, none of the accused seem to have genuinely benefited from the trafficking. The sums promised were, for the most part, never paid. All hoped to improve a precarious daily life or gain access to the lifestyle they observed in those close to them. "I told myself that one day, I too would have luxury cars," sums up one of them.
For investigators, this case illustrates the mechanics of part of local trafficking: networks made up of close associates, without any truly structured hierarchy, where greed is enough to recruit new low-level operatives.
Sentences requested: up to 5 years' imprisonment
The public prosecutor requested sentences ranging from one to five years' imprisonment, accompanied in some cases by fines of up to 5,000 euros. The court delivered its decision after deliberation, broadly following the prosecutor's recommendations.
Source: Google News FR — Crime (fr)