French police dismantle international cannabis smuggling ring after massive airport seizure
Customs officers uncovered more than 240 kg of cannabis hidden among film-plastic rolls in a pallet at Roissy airport, leading to a coordinated BRI Versailles operation that arrested the network’s couriers.
A routine customs check at Roissy Charles-de-Gaulle revealed a pallet of 32 cartons marked as industrial film, but half contained more than 240 kg of cannabis resin concealed within the packaging. After the initial discovery, the BRI de Versailles launched a surveillance operation, following the two original couriers who retrieved the pallet from the freight area. Investigators later identified two more participants who arrived in a Kangoo van at a nearby Fitness Park in Cormeilles-en-Parisis, Val-d’Oise.
At 15:10, police executed coordinated arrests, seizing the drugs and disrupting a network that sourced product from four continents. The case highlights the complexity of trans-continental narcotics trafficking and the effectiveness of French customs and police cooperation.
Why it matters
The bust shows how global drug networks exploit legitimate shipping channels and underscores the role of coordinated law-enforcement in curbing large-scale trafficking.
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