Synthetic drug trafficking near Montpellier: two defendants in pre-trial detention

Drugs, weapons and cash seized in large quantities. DR – National Gendarmerie of Hérault

A couple living in Pignan and a man living in Lattes appeared before the criminal court. The gendarmes had seized drugs, cash, weapons and a luxury car during their arrest.

It was a tip that put the gendarmes of the Castelnau-le-Lez company on the trail of drug trafficking in Pignan. A long investigation, based in particular on telephone tapping, allowed them to identify three traffickers aged 32 to 39.

They were an individual living in Lattes, who supplied the drugs, and a couple living in Pignan, who resold them. On Tuesday, December 10, all three were arrested and taken into custody.

A fourth man aged 60, the father of the Latteis, laundered the money. He was placed under judicial supervision.

At their home, the police seized five liters of GHB, 145 ecstasy tablets, 170 g of 2-MMC, 34 g of various narcotics, packaging equipment, a Mercedes Class A, nearly €13,000 in cash and €7,000 in a bank account, as well as anabolic steroids and seven firearms (mainly hunting and sawed-off shotguns).

A package containing 100 g of 2-MMC, from the Netherlands, was intercepted once the trio was arrested. The police estimate that the trafficking generated €52,000 in income, of which €23,000 was laundered by the father of one of the traffickers. 134 clients were identified, including 53 regulars.

After 72 hours in police custody, the three defendants appeared before the Montpellier Criminal Court this Friday.

Their profiles have little in common with those of other drug traffickers. One was a dental technician for about twenty years, his partner worked in sales promotion, while the third worked in his father's construction company. All three have one or two children.

Ecstasy, GHB and 2-MMC: dangerous substances

Ecstasy, also known as MDMA, is a central nervous system stimulant with specific psychotropic properties. It is also a powerful serotonergic, which makes it a neurotoxin in high doses or with regular use. Often associated with the techno scene, it is widespread in the party scene. Its side effects, including both physical and psychological, are all the more numerous and dangerous as the composition of ecstasy can vary enormously from one tablet to another.

GHBis produced naturally in the human body in very small quantities. It causes euphoric and sedative effects. In high doses, this psychotropic drug has a sedative effect that slows down the nervous system and can cause comas. Allowing chemical submission of the victim, it has been nicknamed the “date rape drug”. Its prescription, which is highly regulated, is part of the treatment of narcolepsy, a rare sleep disorder. GHB can also be used as a preoperative anesthetic. When used recreationally, it can cause amnesia, hallucinations, extreme anxiety, heart problems, and breathing problems.

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2-MMCis one of the synthetic substances derived from natural cathinone (one of the active ingredients in khat). According to a study published in 2023 by the French Observatory on Drugs and Drug Addiction, it promotes euphoria and provides extra energy. But it also causes heart problems, anxiety attacks and compulsive behavior. Since 2023, cases of hospitalization linked to the consumption of 2-MMC have increased by 40%. Another survey by the National Institute for Prevention and Health Education, dating from 2024, shows that 30% of 2-MMC users turn to other illicit substances.

“I have two friends who committed suicide, it made me relapse”

On the day of the arrest, the first was due to take his certification with a view to professional retraining. The next day, his partner had an appointment for an interview to sign a permanent contract…

Having a habit of going out to nightclubs, the two men consumed the synthetic drug – which was inexpensive – in large quantities, as did the partner of one of them, “but without being dependent”.

During the trial, one of the defendants asked for more time to prepare his defense. The judges therefore ruled on the fate of the trio while waiting for the case to be examined on the merits, in early February.

The public prosecutor requested that all three be placed in pretrial detention, which particularly irritated their lawyers.

“There is no drug trafficking, no violence, no risk of the defendants fleeing, one of them pleaded. My client only sold to those around him”. “I have two friends who committed suicide and it made me fall back into addiction each time”, the youngest of the three had regretted, a little earlier.

“His children were extremely shocked by the search”

“My client has the opportunity to validate his professional project, said another. He is aware of the seriousness of the facts. It is more appropriate to place him under judicial supervision.”

“She has no record and has no business being detained, said the woman's lawyer. She wants to give priority to her children who were extremely shocked by the search. She no longer wishes to continue her relationship with her partner.”

The two men were finally placed in pretrial detention “due to the risk of repetition of the facts, of consultation and of non-representation”.

The woman was released pending trial in early February. Placed under judicial supervision, she is prohibited from contacting the defendants and from frequenting nightclubs, required to work or follow training and required to seek care. She will also have to report to the Pignan gendarmerie.

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