2024-11-07 18:00:00
Bruno Retailleau, Minister of the Interior, in Rennes, November 1, 2024. DAMIEN MEYER/AFP
One dead and four injured in Poitiers on October 31, three new victims in the Valence region the following two days, a 5-year-old child seriously injured in the head by gunfire in Rennes a week earlier. The chronicle of shootings linked to drug trafficking seems like it will never end. Friday, November 8, it is in Marseille, the national epicenter of drug trafficking, that the ministers of the interior and justice must go. Bruno Retailleau and Didier Migaud must detail their announcements, partly revealed in an interview given to Sunday newspaper by Mr. Retailleau, Wednesday November 6.
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The Minister of the Interior explains that he wants to intensify investigative work by creating « task forces » mobilizing several state services, and ” to release (…) 360° controls » which could lead to “close businesses, control financial flows, check residence permits too”. The idea: “Tackling the ecosystem of traffickers”insisted Bruno Retailleau. The problem: such voluntarism is not everything, in a matter where successive powers, for around twenty years, have exhausted themselves in creating new methods and supposedly new strategies while prospering, until reaching a capacity of nuisance without doubt never equaled, omnipresent drug trafficking.
Mr. Retailleau repeats that he will increase his efforts to fight against « narcoracailles ». But, associated with the image of the idle young person from the peripheral districts, the term appears outdated, and unlikely to account for a situation which has seen the most successful traffickers establish international alliances, play around with borders, launder their income thanks to the assistance of high-flying financial experts, optimize their illegal trade by constantly reorganizing their logistical flows. Criminals characterized by “uncommon inventiveness and agility, an ability to adapt to repression, to diversify their modes of action”according to the report submitted in May by the Senate commission of inquiry.
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Within the police, the outbreak of violence in recent weeks has reinvigorated the debate on the vast movement to reorganize the institution which came into force on January 1, 2024. From now on, in each department, a single police officer commands all of the police. police services – judicial police (PJ), territorial intelligence, public security. Among these, the specialized investigators of the PJ have merged with their colleagues responsible for petty crime in a single “judicial channel”.
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**Interview with Bruno Retailleau, Minister of the Interior**
**Interviewer**: Thank you for joining us, Minister Retailleau. Recent reports indicate a significant rise in violence linked to drug trafficking in various regions of France. What immediate measures are being implemented to address this critical situation?
**Bruno Retailleau**: Thank you for having me. Indeed, the recent uptick in violence is alarming. On November 8, in Marseille, we aim to announce a comprehensive strategy that includes the creation of task forces. These will bring together various state services to enhance our investigative capabilities and disrupt the operations of drug traffickers.
**Interviewer**: Can you elaborate on what these task forces will entail?
**Bruno Retailleau**: Certainly. These task forces will focus on “360° controls”—a holistic approach that means not only targeting the traffickers themselves but also monitoring the financial flows associated with their operations. We will be looking into businesses that may be facilitating this trade, and we will assess residence permits to ensure that we are tackling the entire ecosystem of narcotrafficking.
**Interviewer**: You mentioned that previous administrations have struggled with this issue. What differentiates your approach from those past efforts?
**Bruno Retailleau**: Our strategy is about integration and collaboration across various branches of government. For far too long, we’ve seen fragmented efforts that lack coordination. By mobilizing multiple agencies and resources into these task forces, we can enhance our effectiveness and truly tackle the networks of drug trafficking head-on, rather than just placing band-aids on the symptoms of the problem.
**Interviewer**: There’s a strong *broad support* in France for new legislation against drug trafficking. How important is public support in enforcing these new measures?
**Bruno Retailleau**: Public support is crucial. It signals to law enforcement that the people stand behind these efforts. It also puts pressure on us as policymakers to deliver results. The community’s involvement in combatting this issue cannot be underestimated, and we are committed to ensuring that our measures align with the values and expectations of the citizens.
**Interviewer**: Thank you, Minister Retailleau, for your insights. We look forward to seeing how these initiatives unfold in the coming weeks.
**Bruno Retailleau**: Thank you for having me. Together, we can work towards a safer France.