French Interior and Justice Ministers Announce Measures to Combat Organized Crime

The French Ministers of the Interior and Justice announced a comprehensive plan to tackle organized crime, with immediate actions focused on prevention, penalties, and enhanced investigative capabilities. This will be followed by legislative reforms aimed at creating a permanent legal framework to address organized crime and narcotrafficking, although many remain skeptical about the plan.

The French Ministers of the Interior and Justice unveiled their strategy today to combat organized crime and takedown “narcotrafficking.”

Describing organized crime as a “tentacular threat” that harms innocents and French social cohesion, Didier Migaud emphasized the need for a decisive response. Their plan, largely drawn from a recent Senate report, centers on a series of immediate actions, followed by French legislative reforms that, they believe, will create a “united front” against organized crime and finally enable victory in the “war on drugs.”

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First Phase: Immediate Actions on Prevention, Prosecution, and Protection

The first phase of the French plan includes several immediate actions targeting crime from multiple angles. The plan envisions a public awareness campaign aimed at educating France’s five million illegal drug users on the connections between drug consumption and violence, as well as exploitation by organized crime.

They call for stricter fines and better collection, currently struggling to exceed 35%, for French drug users caught using drugs in public, and increased efforts to prevent corruption in both the public and private sectors. The recently announced anti-corruption plan, to be launched in collaboration with the French Anti-Corruption Agency (AFA), aims to close off access points that organized crime might have within companies and administrative bodies.

The French anti-narcotics plan also emphasizes improving investigative capabilities. It advocates for a broader deployment of digital forensic tools and greater emphasis on financial investigations.

“Criminal networks don’t stop at borders,” Didier Migaud stressed, advocating for stronger international partnerships, especially in countries serving as drug trafficking sources.

To that end, Mr. Migaud announced the appointment of a liaison magistrate in Colombia to strengthen international cooperation. In Europe, he is bolstering efforts by adding a fourth magistrate to France’s permanent representation to the European Union, with the goal of eventually creating a European judicial shield against organized crime.

French Prosecutions will rely on a streamlined, well-coordinated structure, with a focus on a national coordination unit for organized crime cases and an increase in prosecutorial teams, especially in high-impact areas like Marseille.

This unified approach will allow local prosecutors to work closely with national and regional teams, while data-sharing systems and centralized information management will ensure effective and collaborative case handling.

Second Phase: French Legislative Reforms for Lasting Change

While immediate measures form the backbone of the plan, the French Justice Ministry acknowledges the need for more permanent legal changes, which they hope Parliament will adopt in the coming months. Proposed reforms include a new support framework for “repentant” traffickers, including incentive sentences for those who assist law enforcement. Didier Migaud’s proposal also calls for strengthened investigative capacities in organized crime cases, including extending certain interrogation practices currently used in terrorism cases to organized crime investigations.

On the judicial front, the French Justice aims to expand specialized criminal courts to handle organized crime cases to minimize the risk of juror intimidation. It also proposes extending the offense of “criminal conspiracy” to murder and creating a new set of standards for prosecuting minors over 16 involved in serious criminal activities.

Supporting French Victims and Strengthening Sanctions

Didier Migaud emphasized the importance of not forgetting the French victims of organized crime. The Justice Minister announced the creation of a special mission led by the Interministerial Delegate for Victim Support (DIAV) to assess the specific needs of victims in areas affected by crime.

In line with the principle of “taking from criminals and giving back to victims,” Mr. Migaud stressed the importance of asset seizure and confiscation. He stated that criminal assets should be redirected to support those affected by organized crime – a policy that, in 2023, allowed the seizure of a trafficker’s property in Marseille to provide housing for victims.

Finally, the French Justice Minister proposed measures to prevent crime in prisons, such as implementing detection systems to monitor high-risk inmates and deploying specialized containment zones to limit their influence.

Recent security enhancements at Marseille’s Baumettes prison, including anti-drone systems and mobile jamming devices, exemplify a targeted approach aimed at limiting organized crime’s influence, even within penitentiary facilities.

The French Response Is Similar to the Past 50 Years

Will Retailleau and Migaud do better than their predecessors? Their French political opponents are skeptical, and history supports their doubts.

In an op-ed published in the Huff, several French socialist political figures advocate for a holistic approach, suggesting the creation of a national anti-drug prosecutor’s office similar to the counter-terrorism division, along with stronger support for the judicial police (PJ), which has proven effective in fighting organized crime and terrorism.

They also propose strengthening the role of the French Anti-Narcotics Office (Ofast), creating a unified national strategy, and bolstering youth protection to prevent vulnerable minors from being exploited by criminal networks.

Moreover, they call for a mature and nuanced drug policy that recognizes different uses while promoting responsible consumption. With cannabis legalization and decriminalization increasingly widespread in Europe, France finds itself at a pivotal moment to address related issues with a balanced approach, incorporating police services, social services, and health strategies instead of relying solely on repressive measures.

Indeed, the health aspect of drug consumption has once again been overlooked, as the French Health Minister is not involved in this anti-narcotics plan, which, even if it yields results, will struggle to fundamentally disrupt a €5 billion business in France alone.

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(Featured image by Matt Hardy via Pexels)

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