Drug trafficking: 1,000 deal points removed, seizures and arrests on the rise… Gérald Darmanin’s assessment

Selon Gérald Darmanin, 2023 a été une “année record” en termes d'interpellations liées au trafic de drogue. MAXPPP – Alexis Sciard

The Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin welcomed this Sunday, January 21, an "absolute record" in terms of drug-related stops and seizures in 2023. 

Visiting Créteil, in Val-de-Marne this Sunday, January 21, the Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin welcomed the reduction in the number of points of deal in France.

According to the minister, "1,000 deal points have been removed in three years thanks to the very impressive work of the police and gendarmerie services". The number of deal points at the end of 2020 stood at 4,000 across France. 

While seizures are increasing by 180% in 2023 compared to the previous year, Gérald Darmanin also highlighted a "record year" in 2023, with 36,329 arrests linked to drug trafficking on French territory. 

Strategy at European level 

He will travel to Antwerp, Belgium this Wednesday, January 24 to meet with the interior ministers of the European Union countries to discuss a new common strategy to combat drug trafficking at European level.

The emphasis should be placed on the "synthetic drugs that are increasingly likely to arrive on European territory and which are giving rise to a new criminal network", said clarified Gérald Darmanin, citing the example of fentanyl, which is wreaking havoc in the United States.

Additional resources

Despite a positive outcome, which Gérald Darmanin welcomed, the authorities are facing other methods of trafficking that are more difficult to dismantle, such as the delivery of narcotics directly to the home consumers. 

To continue "the war against drug trafficking", the tenant of Place Beauveau claims to have offered additional mobile and technical means.