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Investigation shifts focus from terrorist activities to drug-related organized crime within French penitentiary system

Inquiry into prison violence now led by French anti-terror prosecutors, who attribute the violence to drug cartels instead of terrorism.

,   and  ASMedia
3 min read

Title: France Transfers Prison Attack Investigation from Anti-Terror to Organized Crime Unit

In an unexpected turn of events, a wave of targeted prison attacks across France in April raised initial alarm bells for counter-terrorism agencies. However, the national anti-terror prosecutor's office (PNAT) has now retracted the terror label, claiming these coordinated actions aren't connected to a terrorist enterprise.

This shift in focus has led to the case being handed over to JUNALCO, an agency responsible for investigating major organized crime. To date, thirty individuals have been detained, with twenty-one presented before judges for potential charges in the heart of Paris. While seven of these are currently serving prison sentences and two are minors, prosecutors have demanded pre-trial detention for all.

Investigators suggest the attacks were orchestrated through a Telegram group called DDPF, which advocated for prisoners' rights and posted messages against prison staff. The group's alleged founder, a detainee awaiting trial in a Marseilles drug case, is reportedly linked to the infamous DZ Mafia, a powerful local gang.

Messages shared on the DDPF Telegram channel hint at financial incentives in exchange for the attacks, with the initials DDPF found at several crime scenes. The method of operation aligns with common practices employed by criminal organizations for carrying out tasks on their behalf.

One of the most severe incidents took place in Villefontaine, a southeastern French town home to staff from the nearby Saint-Quentin-Fallavier prison. Although exact details remain sketchy, it involved automatic gunfire and Molotov cocktails aimed at a housing estate.

France's Justice Minister, Gérald Darmanin, has declared that these attacks stem from drug trafficking. He believes the attackers intended to pressure prison officers to oppose a new anti-drug law, which was recently passed. This legislation establishes a national prosecutor's office for organized crime and permits the detention of dangerous inmates in stricter isolation, aiming to counter the escalating drug-related violence and influx of cocaine into Europe.

Latest reports indicate that this investigation now spans at least fifteen attacks on prisons and prison staff since mid-April. As France strengthens its stance against drug trafficking, the tension between authorities and drug cartels entrenched in prison systems seems to have reached a boiling point.

  1. The retracted terror label by PNAT in the prison attack investigation has led the case to be handed over to JUNALCO, an agency focused on investigating major organized crime.
  2. Seven suspects currently serving prison sentences and two minors are among the thirty individuals detained, with twenty-one presented before judges in Paris.
  3. Investigators suggest the attacks were orchestrated through a Telegram group called DDPF, which posting messages against prison staff and hinting at financial incentives in exchange for the attacks.
  4. Due to the latest newsletter, France's Justice Minister Georgald Darmanin declared that these attacks stem from drug trafficking, indicating that the attackers intended to pressure prison officers to oppose a new anti-drug law.
  5. While the transfer of the investigation from the anti-terror to the organized crime unit is part of international newsletters under crime-and-justice section, it implies a shift in focus for France's fight against drug-related violence and the influx of cocaine into Europe.
Violent jail assaults under scrutiny by French anti-terror authorities, who attribute the unrest to drug cartels instead of terrorist groups.
Investigations into a series of prison violence incidents have been handed over by French anti-terror prosecutors, releasing a statement that identifies drug cartels as the primary culprits, rather than terrorism groups.
Investigative control over the series of prison violence incidents has been transferred to French anti-terror authorities, who assert that the unrest is instigated by drug cartels, rather than terrorist groups.

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