Gérald Darmanin creates “cyber patrols” and calls for strengthening pseudonymous investigations

In a telegram addressed to the prefects, the Minister of the Interior wants to fight against drug trafficking which is “becoming increasingly dematerialized, even ‘Uberized'”.

Gérald Darmanin asked the prefects on Thursday March 21 to intensify the fight against the development via social networks of home delivery of drugs, called “Ubershit”, in particular by strengthening cyber patrols and pseudonymous investigations on the internet.

With “systematic dismantling operations” deal points, as part of “net square” operations, and “under the influence of technological developments”drug traffic “is becoming increasingly dematerialized, even ‘uberized’”writes the Minister of the Interior in a telegram dated Thursday, revealed by The Parisian.

Law enforcement must strengthen their “digital monitoring” by “cyber patrols”generalize surveys under pseudonyms and increase the number of “purchasing moves”by posing as traffickers, in order to infiltrate networks, like the fight against cyberchild pornography.

Reinforced controls in certain neighborhoods

Now, consumers are delivered directly to their homes after placing an order on an encrypted messaging application or via social networks, such as Snapchat, where traffickers promote their products. The prefects must “take regular and visible actions without delay in order to hinder these new methods of distribution”writes the minister.

Controls must also be intensified in the neighborhoods “known to be places of delivery of narcotics, including in neighborhoods generally considered more advantaged”and the cars or two-wheelers involved “systematically” seized. “The State’s ‘digital and cyber car’ must run faster than that of the traffickers”concludes the minister in a handwritten message at the end of the letter.