Drug war in East Nice: five people indicted

Five individuals have just been charged in connection with the turf war being waged by drug traffickers in eastern Nice, particularly at the Fenoglio de Briga drug dealing point.

It all started with information that several individuals were in the Nice area intending to commit violent acts. The goal: to establish their control over the "Fenoglio de Briga" drug dealing spot. This is what Nicolas Bessone, public prosecutor of Marseille, and Damien Martinelli, public prosecutor of Nice, jointly explained.

A preliminary investigation was opened on April 18 by the specialized unit of the Nice public prosecutor's office. It was entrusted to the interdepartmental judicial police service 06.

Surveillance, wiretapping: the SIPJ 06 research and intervention brigade quickly located three individuals from the Paris region. Investigators, on the lookout, witnessed attempted intrusions into the "four," the drug dealing point. They also witnessed trips back and forth between the Paris region and the south of France. Two other individuals were also targeted, bringing the number of targets under surveillance to five.

Two Kalashnikovs seized

On May 15, as part of a joint referral by the Interdepartmental Directorate of the National Police of the Alpes-Maritimes with the Interdepartmental Service of the Judicial Police of Val d'Oise, four individuals were arrested by the BRI Versailles, and the fifth in Toulon (83) by the Research and Intervention Brigade of Nice.

Among these people, three men, two aged 42 and one aged 24, were from Oise (60), two men, aged 36 and 48, were from Paris (75). The people arrested were known to the police and the courts, notably for aggravated violence and drug trafficking.

During the searches, particularly in a rented apartment in Toulon, two Kalashnikov assault rifles, a submachine gun, a revolver, and a large amount of ammunition were found. For greater consistency, and in light of the defendants' location, the Nice prosecutor's office has relinquished jurisdiction in favor of the Marseille prosecutor's office, with a view to continuing the investigations.

The five individuals were charged in Marseille, as part of the opening of a judicial investigation for "participation in a criminal association with a view to preparing an organized crime"; "participation in a criminal association with a view to preparing offenses punishable by 10 years of imprisonment", "unauthorized possession, transportation and acquisition, in a group, of a weapon, ammunition or essential element of categories A and B". Four of them were placed in pre-trial detention.

"This procedure illustrates the implementation of proactive strategies aimed at anticipating violent acts, as well as the coordination and complementarity of the action of the Marseille JIRS prosecutor's office with local prosecutors' offices in the fight against organized crime," the Nice and Marseille prosecutors' offices jointly commented.