Police smash cocaine ring at Charles de Gaulle airport

FRENCH authorities have busted a cocaine ring run out of Charles de Gaulle airport, in Paris, that involved an “aspiring” customs officer and a drug mule who allegedly swallowed more than 2lb of cocaine worth £62,440.

Two men, aged 19 and 23, appeared in court over the weekend on charges of drug trafficking after a months-long investigation that focused on arrivals coming from the overseas department of French Guiana, on the north-east coast of South America.

Investigators called the operation “white tsunami” in reference to the massive amounts of cocaine smuggled between the two countries, Le Parisien reported. They estimate that 20 per cent of cocaine in France comes from drug mules travelling through Paris airports.

On Dec 26, police arrested a 19-yearold airport security worker, originally from French Guiana, who moved to France in 2019. After failing business management studies in Rheims, he relocated to a Paris suburb and worked at Charles de Gaulle airport as a member of security staff.

He was described as “immature” and addicted to betting, and it was also noted by the public prosecutor that the young man hoped to become a customs officer. He was allegedly paid €1,000 (£866) for every 2lb of drugs that were recovered.

After arriving in Paris, the cocaine is distributed throughout France to locations including Lyon, Courchevel and Avallon to supply local drug networks.

The suspect has no prior criminal record and was in financial difficulty, his lawyer said.

The mule, identified as Jeremy, agreed to swallow 126 balloons of cocaine weighing 2.6lb. The resale value of the drugs he carried in his stomach was estimated at €72,000. He came from a modest family and had just enlisted in the army.

Mules risk death as balloons can burst in their stomach. They are known to take medication to inhibit bowel movements and they refrain from eating or drinking during the flight.

In December, six men were given heavy prison sentences in a Paris court for operating a drug-trafficking “call centre” that involved the delivery of cocaine and 3-MMC, or metaphedrone, known as a cheaper alternative to cocaine, to at least 100 customers a day throughout the greater Paris area.