French authorities bust major money‑laundering scheme in Narbonne and cigarette smuggling ring near Angers

Police in the French region of Occitanie seized about €2.7 million, 14 luxury cars, a boat, gold and jewellery after dismantling a money‑laundering network centred on Narbonne. Five people were placed before a judge on organised‑crime laundering charges, while a total of thirteen suspects were initially detained.

In western France, police from the division of organised crime near Angers arrested seven individuals in a large‑scale cigarette smuggling operation. The investigation revealed the weekly movement of hundreds of cartons, sold via social‑media contacts at a margin of roughly €4 per pack. The case follows a recent Belgian seizure of 80 million illegal cigarettes destined for French and British markets.