Les Clermontais étaient venus “travailler” Sète, recrutés par des trafiquants par les réseaux sociaux. Illustration Midi Libre – RICHARD DE HULLESSEN
Recrutés sur les réseaux sociaux et hébergés dans un AirBnb, les trois jeunes étaient venus de Clermont-Ferrand pour servir de guetteurs, sur l’Île de Thau.
They are aged 18 and 22, and originally from Clermont-Ferrand. Recruited on social networks, they had taken the bus three weeks ago to work at a drug dealing point in the Ile de Thau district. They were housed in an apartment rented on AirBnb by a trafficker, who came to wake them up every morning.
But when the owner goes to the apartment to get it back, she discovers illicit objects. In particular, a bag containing drugs and a handgun. She alerts the police and puts everything that is not hers in the hallway. That is when the trio returns, forcing the woman to lock herself inside. The young people try to get in, before leaving the premises. One of them will try to contact her by phone.
In the bags left in the hallway, the police find 52 g of cannabis resin and 30 g of synthetic drugs, as well as all the equipment used in a drug dealing point. A magnum revolver containing four loaded cartridges, reported stolen, was also found.
Arrested fifteen days earlier in Sète
This Wednesday, January 29, the three youths appeared before the Montpellier Criminal Court, in particular for possession, transfer and acquisition of narcotics, possession in a group of a category B weapon. Two of them were judged as repeat offenders. Finally, one was also judged for refusing to give the police his phone code.
The investigators already knew two of the three Clermontois from having arrested them fifteen days earlier in possession of narcotics in Sète. These two had been ordered to leave the Isle of Thau, which they had not done.
In court, the youths only admitted to acting as lookouts, for 70 to 80 euros per day. They admitted to using cannabis but denied any connection with the weapon or the car.
The prosecutor requested two years in prison for the two repeat offenders, and two years, one of which is suspended, for the third, with continued detention.
Kept in detention
“I don't see the point of these requisitions, deplored Mr. Jullien in defense. Why not a suspended sentence and a work obligation ? I have the feeling that we are trying to pin everything on them because it is complicated for investigators to get to the head of the network”.
“We are not going to make them pay for the lack of investigations in this case“, agreed Me Pierronnet. “They are immature and do not realize that they are little hands used by those who are not present in this room”.
Acquitted of the offenses of acquisition and transfer of narcotics, but convicted of drug possession, the three young people were sentenced to prison terms: 18 months, 12 of which were suspended for one, one year firm for the other, and 12 months plus the revocation of a six-month suspended sentence for the third.
They are kept in detention, and are prohibited from holding a weapon and appearing in Hérault for a period of five years. The court also ordered work or training obligations, care, as well as the confiscation of seals.
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