This is a free warning. Addressing those who would be tempted to go and collect bales of cocaine on the Normandy coast, Philippe Astruc, the Rennes prosecutor who heads the specialized interregional jurisdiction (Jirs), warned on Friday March 3 against the ” drug tourism”.
No new arrivals were reported on Friday morning on the beaches of the Manche department, where packages totaling more than 1.2 tonnes were washed up on Wednesday, particularly in the Réville area. On Sunday, more than 800 kilos had already been discovered, leading to the multiplication of gendarmerie patrols in the region as well as overflights of a national navy helicopter.
Crime and health risk
Other packages could however be discovered in the coming days, explained during a press briefing the magistrate in charge of the case: “The fact of taking possession of one of these bundles and transporting them is constitutive of ‘a misdemeanor punishable by ten years’ imprisonment,’ he recalled. In addition to the criminal risk, there is a danger to health, added the magistrate. “Right now, I don’t have the purity level of this cocaine. But we know from experience that when it arrives in Europe, this cocaine is usually between 80 and 90% pure”, which presents a risk of overdose for the user, he insisted.
The magistrate recalled that during a previous “white tide” at the end of 2019 on the beaches of an area ranging from the Pyrénées-Atlantiques to Brittany, a young man died after consuming cocaine found on a beach. The origin of the cocaine recently found in Normandy remains unknown and the investigation will try to establish whether the products which arrived on Sunday and Wednesday come from the same shipment, he recalled.
The investigation was entrusted to the Rennes public prosecutor’s office where the specialized interregional jurisdiction (JIRS) sits, in conjunction with the Paris public prosecutor’s office. The latter should take over the direction of the investigation alone “in the coming days”, added Mr. Astruc.
