This is a free warning. Sadressing those who would be tempted to go and collect bales of cocaine on the Normandy coast, Philippe Astruc, the Rennes prosecutor who heads the specialized interregional jurisdiction (JIRS), warned on Friday March 3 once morest the “narcotourism”.
No new arrivals were reported on Friday morning on the beaches of the Manche department, where packages totaling more than 1.2 tonnes were washed up on Wednesday, particularly in the Réville area. Sunday, more than 800 kilos had already been discovered, resulting in the multiplication of gendarmerie patrols in the region as well as overflights of a helicopter from the French Navy.
Crime and health risk
Other packages might however be discovered in the coming days, explained during a press briefing the magistrate in charge of the case: “The act of taking possession of one of these bundles and transporting them constitutes an offense punishable by ten years’ imprisonment”, he recalled. In addition to the criminal risk, there is a health hazard. “As of now, I don’t have the degree of purity of this cocaine. But we know from experience that when it arrives in Europe, this cocaine is usually between 80 and 90% pure”which presents a risk of overdose for the user, he insisted.
The magistrate recalled that during a previous “white tide” at the end of 2019 on the beaches of an area ranging from the Pyrénées-Atlantiques to Brittany, a young man died following consuming cocaine found on a beach. The origin of the cocaine recently discovered in Normandy remains unknown and the investigation will try to establish whether the products which arrived on Sunday and Wednesday come from the same shipment, he recalled.