The man had been followed by the gendarmes of the Paris research section since June, according to information from franceinfo.
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A man, suspected of having trafficked more than two tonnes of counterfeit tobacco in the north of Essonne, was indicted on Saturday July 22 for “drug trafficking”, “laundering” and “importing contraband tobacco”, learned franceinfo from concordant sources.
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According to a source familiar with the matter, it was in June that the individual was spotted by the gendarmes of the Paris research section. The investigation, carried out under the direction of the Evry prosecutor’s office, quickly made it possible to identify the place where he stored his goods, a property in Brétigny-sur-Orge, in Essonne.
Goods worth 880,000 euros
He was arrested Wednesday in flagrante delicto, in the company of a client, by the Parisian gendarmes, with their colleagues from Essonne and soldiers from the GIGN.
On the land used as a storage place, the searches revealed a hatch leading to a buried container. Inside, more than 2.3 tons of counterfeit tobacco were seized, for an estimated value of 880,000 euros. 170,000 euros in cash and 17 kilos of cannabis were also found, as well as three long weapons, two of which were undeclared.
Placed in police custody the same day with his client, the suspect was presented this Saturday to the prosecution of Evry, indicted and imprisoned, specifies the prosecution.