Drug trafficking and shooting in Alès: a tense first day of hearing at the Nîmes court

Le procès se déroule exceptionnellement dans la salle des assises nîmoise. illustration Midi Libre – MiKAEL ANISSET

An exceptional trial opened this Monday, January 6th in the Nîmes assize court. Eight of the twelve defendants, accused of belonging to a drug trafficking network dismantled in Alès, are appearing for a week of intense debates.

The long-awaited trial of the twelve defendants involved in a vast drug trafficking network opened this Monday, January 6th in the Nîmes assize court. This case, which has shaken the Alès jurisdiction, began against a backdrop of palpable tensions and disturbing revelations.

Read also:Drug trafficking and shooting in Alès: twelve defendants in court for an extraordinary trial

A network dismantled

On this first day of hearing, there were eight of them. Eight defendants involved in a vast drug trafficking network and linked to a shooting that took place in Saint-Ambroix (Gard). The facts date back to January 2022, when the Le Sagittaire bar, a hub for drug trafficking and located in the Alès district of Rochebelle, was dismantled, with impressive seizures: 9 kg of drugs, around fifteen weapons and thousands of euros in cash. Later, the Saint-Ambroix shooting in May 2022 would mark a turning point, drawing the authorities’ attention to the violence inherent in this turf war.

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This Monday, December 6, the first day of the trial (which is scheduled to continue until Tuesday, January 14), all eyes were on the eight defendants present in the courtroom. While the profiles are varied, some with more lengthy criminal records than others, all are implicated according to the prosecution.

A defense under pressure

The day began with the hearing of Adel L., the man at the center of the Saint-Ambroix shooting. In a confident voice, he admitted to the shots, pleading self-defense in the face of an imminent threat. “I admit to having shot, but it was to defend myself”, he hammered home, while the presiding judge, Vincent Eden and the prosecutor, Quentin Larroque, tried to sort out the truth from the lies.

Samvel M., the second to be questioned, described a spiral of threats and violence that allegedly forced him to participate in trafficking. “I was threatened, beaten, I was given no choice“, explained the man who appeared in court wearing jeans and a black jacket. Yet the wiretaps revealed by the prosecution depict a man who is much more involved than he is willing to admit. “You are minimizing your role” , insisted the president, while the prosecutor pointed to text messages that went in the same direction.

“You are accused of piloting the operations from your cell”

Standing in the dock, Djibril A., alias “Bibiche”, alleged manager of the drug dealing point from his cell (in which he has been incarcerated for four years), denied the accusations outright. “This number is not mine, nor is this phone line,” he said. However, the recordings and testimonies paint a completely different picture: that of a man who, even behind bars, continues to direct operations. The prosecutor did not fail to point out this: “You are accused of directing operations from your cell.”

Each hearing brought its share of revelations and contradictions. Morad B., the alleged mastermind of the network, disputed the DNA evidence found on weapons and bags of drugs. Mounir F., the alleged nanny of the network, admitted the facts, but said he was terrified of reprisals, stating that he could not reveal the identity of his employers.

Thus, this first day set the tone: intense debates, heavy accusations and a defense that was often on the defensive. The trial will continue this Tuesday, January 7, with, among other things, the start of the pleadings.

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