French anti-drug trafficking enforcement

French law enforcement has intensified efforts to combat narcotics trafficking through both localized operations and large-scale strategic seizures. In Libourne, a major operation involving 90 gendarmes dismantled a drug ring operating from a residential apartment, resulting in the arrest of nine individuals for the sale and storage of cannabis and cocaine.

Broadening the scope of enforcement, authorities have shifted focus toward targeting the financial infrastructure of criminal networks. In Lyon, prosecutor Thierry Dran reported that approximately 30 million euros in criminal assets were seized during the first half of 2026, exceeding the total amount seized in all of 2025. This strategy involves confiscating cash, real estate, luxury goods, and bank accounts to ‘hit traffickers in the wallet.’

Significant physical seizures have also been reported, including a major operation in Burgundy where police intercepted a vehicle carrying 529 kilograms of cocaine valued at roughly 4.1 million euros. The seizure occurred at highway rest areas in Côte-d'Or involving a vehicle traveling from Spain. Two suspects, aged 35 and 42, were arrested in flagrante delicto and face charges including drug importation and criminal association. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez characterized the seizure as a major disruption to supply routes entering France, praising the work of the Office anti-stupéfiants (Ofast) and the Brigade de recherche et d'intervention (BRI).