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DRUGS

French police bust major Marseille drug ring

French police said Friday that they had smashed a major drug trafficking ring in the southern city of Marseille, a key hub in the trans-Mediterranean cannabis and cocaine trade where several people are killed each year in turf wars.

Published: 22 June 2018 16:46 CEST
French police bust major Marseille drug ring
General view taken of the Cite de la Castellane housing project where the drug trafficking ring was based. Photo: AFP
Eight people were taken into custody following Monday's raid in the notorious Castellane housing estate, the nexus of the city's drug trade, regional police chief Eric Arella said at a press conference.
   
Around 250 officers took part in the operation, which netted 200 kilogrammes of cannabis resin and nine weapons, including two AK-47 assault rifles, as well as a grenade, two bullet-proof vests and 30,000 euros in cash.
   
Around 20 people accused of having various roles in the drugs business, from lookouts to “nannies” (a person in charge of hiding drugs) to a ringleader, were arrested.
   
Eight were charged with drug smuggling, criminal conspiracy and weapons offences and placed in preventive custody, Marseille's public prosecutor 
Xavier Tarabeux said.
 
READ ALSO:
Arella said around 900 drug deals worth 40,000 to 50,000 euros ($46,000-$58,000) take place daily in Castellane, an estate of tower blocks home to 7,000 people famous for producing football legend Zinedine Zidane.
   
One of the eight suspects is a syndicate leader, Arella added.
   
Two are fugitives from justice who had been sentenced to jail time for drug smuggling late last year, Tarabeux added.
 
'See you soon'
 
During the raid police took a picture of a hut where deals were conducted and where marijuana prices were listed on a sign, with the message “Enjoy smoking up and see you soon!”
 
The arrests come two weeks after a young man was gunned down on a Saturday night in Marseille's scenic Old Port, the latest victim of the city's drug 
wars which have been blamed for 12 deadly shootings so far this year, nearly as much as in all of 2017.
   
In a sign of the brazenness of the city's gangs, a group of around 10 gunmen travelling by car besieged a rundown housing estate in the city's north on a recent weekday afternoon.
   
The attackers, who wore balaclavas, fired into the air with AK-47s next to a social centre and then aimed at police while making their getaway.
 
A video of the incident, which a resident caught on camera, went viral on social media, prompting an outcry over the sense of lawlessness and absence of the state in Marseille.
   
On a visit to the city the following day President Emmanuel Macron expressed concern over the violence and pledged to come up with a national plan to combat drug trafficking by July.

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DRUGS

Germany should make cannabis available at pharmacies not ‘coffee shops’, says FDP boss

Germany's possible new government could well relax the country's strict cannabis laws. But FDP leader Christian Lindner says he doesn't want to go down the Netherlands route.

Published: 18 October 2021 12:50 CEST
A demonstrator smokes a joint at the pro-cannabis Hanfparade in Berlin in August 2021.
A demonstrator smokes a joint at the pro-cannabis Hanfparade in Berlin in August 2021. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Annette Riedl

The Social Democrats (SPD), Greens and the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) are set to engage in coalition talks in a bid to become the next German government.  And the future of cannabis will likely be one of the topics to be thrashed out.

In drug policy, the three parties are not too far apart in their positions. So it’s possible that the drug could be decriminalised.

However, nothing is set in stone and the parties still haven’t come to a common line on the question of where and to what extent cannabis could be accessed. 

The leader of the Liberal FDP, Christian Lindner, has now come out in favour of allowing cannabis products such as hashish to be sold in a controlled manner. 

Consumers should be allowed “to purchase a quantity for their own use, for example, in a pharmacy after health education,” Lindner told a live broadcast on German daily Bild on Sunday.

Lindner said he was sceptical about the sale in “coffee shops” according to the Dutch model. “I am in favour of controlled distribution, and therefore health education must be able to take place,” he said.

READ MORE: Patients in Germany still face hurdles accessing medical marijuana

People in the Netherlands can access cannabis products in coffee shops under the country’s tolerant drugs policy. However coffee shops have to follow certain strict conditions. For instance they are not allowed to sell large quantities to an individual. 

Lindner said his main aims were about “crime and health prevention” and not with “legalising a right to intoxication”.

It’s not clear if Lindner advocates for prescription-only cannabis for medical use, or an over-the-counter model. 

The FDP previously said that they they are in favour of the creation of licensed shops. Their manifesto highlights the health benefits, tax windfalls and reallocation of police resources that legalisation would create.

The Green party also want licensed shops, as well as a whole new approach to drug control starting with the controlled legalisation of marijuana. The Greens state that “strict youth and user protection” would be the centre point of their legislation and hope to “pull the rug from under the black market”.

The SPD also want a reform of Germany’s prohibition stance – but are more cautious than the smaller parties on the legalisation aspect. They would like to initially set up pilot projects. 

READ ALSO: Why Germany could be on the brink of legalising cannabis

Controversial topic

So far, the sale of cannabis is officially banned in Germany. Possession of cannabis is also currently illegal across the entire country. Those caught carrying the substance can face anything from a fine to five years in jail.

However, the justice system generally looks away if you are caught carry small quantities for personal use unless you have a previous conviction.

The definition of personal use differs from state to state, with Berlin having the most liberal rules and Bavaria the tightest.

It is estimated that around four million people regularly use cannabis in Germany.

Representatives of police unions in Germany have warned against legalisation. They argue that cannabis is an often trivialised drug that can lead to considerable health problems and social conflicts, especially among young people.

Oliver Malchow, from the GdP police union, said that “it doesn’t make any sense to legalise another dangerous drug on top of alcohol”.

The current Ministry of Health also continues to oppose the legalisation of cannabis, a spokesperson for Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) made clear. Cannabis is a dangerous substance and therefore legalisation is not advisable, the spokesman said. 

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