Drug trafficking in Montpellier: repeat offender sentenced to three years in prison
A man in his forties with a criminal record was sentenced to three years in custody for selling drugs and weapons from his home in the Grisettes district.
Drug trafficking in Montpellier: repeat offender sentenced to three years in prison
Montpellier's district court imposed a sentence of three years in custody, with continued detention, on Monday 8 June to a 37-year-old man for operating an illegal sales point from his ground-floor apartment in the Grisettes area. The defendant distributed cocaine, cannabis and herbal products to passers-by through his window, creating a drive-through service of sorts for consumers.
The investigation gained momentum after an internet user alerted the authorities via the "Ma sécurité" portal. Investigators then placed the home under surveillance and verified the credibility of the testimony: constant comings and goings continued until midnight. On 12 March, an operation allowed officers to apprehend the suspect on site and search his room. Police discovered 330 grammes of cocaine, stocks of cannabis and herbal products, a wad of notes exceeding 1,000 euros, and a loaded 45-calibre semi-automatic weapon.
This man, released from prison in 2023, is a familiar figure before the courts. His criminal record contains thirty-five mentions of convictions, including eleven for offences committed when he was a minor: theft with aggravating circumstances, handling stolen goods, fraud and several cases of drug possession. At the hearing, he admitted the facts whilst claiming duress: according to him, traffickers were demanding repayment of a debt linked to narcotics and had fired shots at his window. "I was under pressure, I was afraid, I was lost," he declared, requesting assistance rather than a sentence and asking to be removed from Montpellier.
The presiding judge, Gilles Maschio, pointed out to him that in a situation of recidivism for this type of offence, the law provides for a sentence that can reach up to twenty years. In addition to imprisonment, the court imposed a fine of 2,000 euros, a ten-year ban on carrying and possessing weapons, and exclusion from the Hérault department for a period of three years.
Source: Midi Libre
Source: Google News FR — Crime (fr)