how to stop gang warfare in medium-sized towns?

Settling of scores in Cavaillon (Vaucluse), dragnet in Mersac, near Angoulême (Charente), urban guerrilla warfare between drug traffickers in Valence (Drôme), and record seizures. Drug trafficking is gaining ground and establishing itself over the months in all medium-sized towns. There would be in France nearly 4,000 deal points, according to the Ministry of the Interior. Seemingly peaceful small towns, such as Le Creusot (Saône-et-Loire), where last winter, in the middle of the night, a man machine-gunned the facade of a bar-tabac frequented by drug traffickers.

Nearly 66 tonnes of drugs seized in France in 2022

In Le Havre (Seine-Maritime), a year ago, exchanges of fire between drug traffickers and police took place in broad daylight among motorists. Why are these small towns, hitherto spared, now plagued by traffic? According to Frédéric Vaux, director of the national police, interviewed on Sunday morning May 14 on Franceinfo, “the world production of narcotics is steadily increasing. These traffickers seek to sell their merchandise as much as possible, and throughout the national territory”.

The drug market continues to expand throughout the territory, and 2022 has been a banner year. All drugs combined, nearly 66 tonnes were seized. And this is only the tip of the iceberg.