“The drug trafficker knows he will go to prison and prepares for his insolvency”: how the Senate is tackling money laundering

The fight against drug trafficking also involves the fight against money laundering. Midi Libre – DORIAN CAYUELA

The bill aimed at "getting France out of the drug trafficking trap" is being debated in the Senate starting Tuesday, January 28. Two parliamentarians, Hussein Bourgi, senator for Hérault and Lauriane Josendre, parliamentarian for the P-O, worked on amendments to fight against dirty money.

The senators, who are examining the proposed law against drug trafficking (*) from this Tuesday, want in particular to “hit the wallet.”

Because the results of the fight against drug money laundering are disappointing: the seizures made in 2023 only represented 117 million euros (3% of the low estimate of the turnover of trafficking).

At the forefront on the subject, the senator from Hérault Hussein Bourgi (Ps), will defend his amendments, the fruit of his meetings with the actors on the ground. The idea: track down and make active or passive financial accomplices pay.

Grocery stores, nail salons, private security agencies

“Today, any self-respecting drug trafficker knows that he will go to prison, it is part of his career plan. So, they organize their insolvency through money laundering” the senator explains.

The businesses used as “launderers” have been identified: grocery stores, hookah bars, fast food restaurants, barbers, nail salons, private security agencies, etc.

“What we also found was the purchase or rental of shiny cars and, on the seafront, luxury boats, bought and resold”, the senator continues senator.

Seize doubtful assets of relatives or family

Then, if the funds are not sent through complex financial circuits abroad, but placed in the accounts of third parties – family, friends – the idea is to be able to seize them.

“We reverse the burden of proof: the person must prove where the money comes from, their real estate or their €50,000 cars, otherwise we seize everything. The: “I don't know” no longer works, if the person is an accomplice or in good faith, in both cases, we confiscate everything” announces the elected official.

Who mentions these situations encountered, like this 82-year-old grandmother living on the minimum old-age pension and who had €600,000 in life insurance, aware of nothing, but whose son had been arrested for trafficking.

Lauriane Josende, LR senator from P-O, is also determined to toughen the legislative arsenal by targeting nighttime convenience stores.

“There is an increase in the number of night grocery stores that are used to launder money. They allow drug trafficking to outsource: we see these businesses developing in the department, in small towns. They said to themselves: “let's go to the gendarmerie zone”, because we are suffering from a drop in staff, so they are moving away, to have less visibility” she reports.

This increase is compounded by another problem: when infractions are observed – non-compliance with opening rules or other – an administrative closure can be decided.

Increase the duration of administrative closure of grocery stores in night

“But it is only three months and the mayors tell us that it is very insufficient. The organized networks absorb it easily and three months later, they are reinstalled with a feeling of omnipotence” continues Lauriane Josende, citing a mayor of the P-O threatened and attacked by a manager of a grocery store that had been closed.

Her amendment should make it easier to close, with longer sanctions, “six months or a year, to break the dynamic.”

The parliamentarian is also working on an article of the law to facilitate the eviction, in the public and private sectors, of tenants “who use their family's homes, the cellar, the attic or other to dealer.”

(*) The bill debated before the Senate from January 28 intends to create a national anti-organized crime prosecutor's office, set up an immunity regime for “repentants” and a regime prohibiting them from appearing at drug dealing points, secure investigation reports, etc.

Consumers fined: municipal officials also want to issue fines

This measure was requested in the mayors' platform presented by Jean-Yves Chalepet, elected in Bagnols-sur-Cèze (Gard), addressed to the Ministry of the Interior to warn of the gangrene of trafficking: boost the fixed fine targeting consumers.

In France, 170,000 fines were issued in 2024 and elected officials would like the fine to increase from 200 euros for consumption or possession to 1,500 euros.

“We need to increase the skills of municipal police officers so that they can also issue these fines and streamline the process” also defends Jean-Michel Weiss, FA-FPT delegate for Gard and Hérault. Because today, only the gendarmes and the national police can issue tickets.

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