Besançon police seize large quantities of narcotics

Police in Besançon have seized a significant quantity of narcotics following an investigation triggered by local residents. The operation began on September 14 at a property on Rue du Professeur-Haag, where canine units alerted officers to a specific cellar.

A 31-year-old woman, the tenant of the cellar, was found to be storing 562g of cannabis resin, 362g of cannabis herb, 90g of cocaine, 129g of heroin, and 348g of ecstasy. She claimed she was renting the space to friends for 80 euros per month under the impression they were storing scooters, though she admitted to suspecting illegal substances were present due to the smell.

The investigation led to the arrest of a 23-year-old man and a 34-year-old woman, the latter of whom was found with 3,545 euros in cash. A subsequent search of a 49-year-old man's residence uncovered a much larger cache, including 1.495kg of heroin, 220.3g of cocaine, 594.8g of ketamine, and various other drugs. The 49-year-old suspect claimed he was forced to act as a drug mule due to a debt. The cellar tenant has been presented to the prosecutor and received a 12-month prison sentence with a two-year suspended sentence.