2024-11-03 05:00:00
A French customs officer studies an X-ray taken at the hospital showing eight pellets of cocaine hidden in the rectum of a “mule” arrested at Cayenne – Félix-Eboué airport, in Guyana, and suspected of working for drug traffickers. ALVARO CANOVAS / PARIS MATCH / SCOOP
Like most “narcotics files”, the case begins with an anonymous tip. In the summer of 2019, a team from the bustling Roubaix police station (North) took over a small house in the town where cocaine smugglers from Guyana were allegedly based. Behind the narrow red brick facade, the police discovered a spectacle worthy of the eighth circle of Hell imagined by Dante: overflowing trash cans, soiled toilet paper, buckets filled with human excrement… And four people from Guyana, haggard and disoriented. After searching the house, the police gathered 6 kilos of cocaine, packaged in plastic ovules of around ten grams.
A group from the Ofast branch (Anti-Narcotics Office) in Lille takes the matter in hand. These investigators only know about the traffic of Guyanese smugglers through the two or three « mules » which customs hands over to the judicial police every week. “By interviewing the four carriers, we understood that it was a very structured network, remembers Captain Yann, then deputy leader of the group. In Suriname, a country bordering Guyana, the mules had swallowed dozens of cocaine capsules – around 1.2 kg of product per person. They then completed a long journey: pirogue – collective taxi – Cayenne airport – plane – Orly – and finally VTC to Roubaix. “.
Captain Yann and his team learn about the phenomenon of « mules guyanaises ». The scale of the traffic leaves them incredulous: at least 10,000 smugglers per year, an inexhaustible pool of candidates – idle young people, pregnant women, but also soldiers, elected officials or medical repatriates –, and control systems on the verge of breakdown. According to figures from the Ministry of the Interior, a fifth of the cocaine available in mainland France comes from « mules guyanaises ». Faced with the unprecedented saturation of police and justice services, the State’s response remains unresolved.
Sock sliders and personal driver
A track quickly catches the attention of Captain Yann and his team. The plane tickets of the four smugglers were all issued by the same agency, Solair Voyages, located in the heart of Roubaix, between kebab restaurants and night shops (local grocery stores). For 2019 alone, this company reserved more than a thousand transport tickets on the Cayenne-Paris route, or a third of its turnover. During the same year, thirty-seven passengers traveling on tickets it issued were randomly checked by customs. All were carrying cocaine – on average 1.7 kg per person. Based on this ratio, Captain Yann estimated the quantity of products imported in 2019 via Solair Voyages at almost a ton – 933 kg exactly.
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**Interview with Captain Yann, Deputy Leader of the Anti-Narcotics Office (Ofast)**
**Interviewer:** Thank you for joining us today, Captain Yann. Can you start by telling us how this particular case involving cocaine smuggling from French Guiana came to your attention?
**Captain Yann:** Thank you for having me. This case began back in the summer of 2019 when we received an anonymous tip about a house in Roubaix suspected of being a base for cocaine smugglers from Guyana. Upon investigation, we discovered a very disturbing scene: not only was there a significant stash of cocaine, but the living conditions of the individuals inside were shocking.
**Interviewer:** What did your investigation reveal about the network behind this operation?
**Captain Yann:** Through interviews with the four individuals we found at the house, it quickly became clear that this was a highly organized network. The carriers, often referred to as “mules,” were being utilized in a systematic way, traveling from Suriname to French Guiana and then to France. They ingested large amounts of cocaine—up to 1.2 kilograms each—before making the arduous trip.
**Interviewer:** Can you walk us through what the journey of these mules typically looks like?
**Captain Yann:** Certainly. The journey usually begins in Suriname, where these individuals swallow capsules filled with cocaine. After that, they navigate a series of transport methods to reach Cayenne airport: pirogues to cross waterways, collective taxis for overland travel, and they arrive at the airport. Each step of their journey poses significant risk, both from the authorities and the physical toll on their bodies.
**Interviewer:** What challenges do law enforcement agencies face in combating this type of drug trafficking?
**Captain Yann:** The main challenges include the sheer volume of traffic we see at airports and the adaptability of these smuggling networks. They constantly change their methods and routes, making it difficult to predict their next move. Moreover, the emotional and psychological manipulation of the mules themselves plays a role; many are in vulnerable positions, driven by desperation or coercion.
**Interviewer:** With such a structured network in play, what preventative measures can be taken to combat this issue moving forward?
**Captain Yann:** We need a multifaceted approach. That includes enhanced cooperation between international law enforcement agencies, community outreach to educate potential mules about the dangers involved, and better training for customs officers to identify and intervene more effectively. It’s crucial to dismantle the entire network, not just intercept individual mules.
**Interviewer:** Thank you, Captain Yann, for your insights on this pressing issue. It’s clear that combating drug trafficking requires persistent effort and collaboration across various sectors.
**Captain Yann:** Thank you. It’s a team effort, and raising awareness is a crucial part of the fight against drug trafficking.