In France, this year promises to be a record year with a 57 percent increase in homicides and attempted homicides related to the drug trade, local police sources said.
Before a Senate inquiry into drug trafficking in France, Frédéric Veaux, director general of the French national police, announced that there were “315 cases of homicide and attempted homicide between criminals” between January 1 and November 13, a 57 percent increase over the same period last year.
“We are experiencing an increase in the number of violent acts related to drug trafficking,”
said the police chief, adding that these crimes resulted in 451 victims. 30 percent of those killed were under the age of 20.
In the southern department of Bouches-du-Rhone alone – which includes the second most important French city, Marseille – this year, around forty people have lost their lives in drug-trafficking-related confrontations, according to the AFP news agency.
The drug market has a turnover of 3 billion euros (about HUF 1,140 billion) in France every year. This means “21,000 full-time jobs and 240,000 people live directly or indirectly from it,” said Stéphanie Cherbonnier, head of the anti-narcotics office. Drugs are extremely profitable for criminal organizations.
“Cocaine is bought for between 28,000 and 30,000 euros per kilo and sold for 65-70 euros per gram,”
he added.
According to Stéphanie Cherbonnier, the danger caused by drug trafficking has reached a “historically high level”.
(MTI)
