Five men, including a suspected Albanian kingpin, are under examination in France in connection with an investigation into the trafficking of heroin and cocaine from Belgium and the Netherlands, according to a statement from the public prosecutor of Annecy.
The network operated in Savoie and Haute-Savoie.
“This drug trafficking ring, spearheaded by Albanian nationals, was managed so that multiple local dealer teams rotated almost weekly, following police arrests,” Prosecutor Line Bonnet explained in a press release.
Three kilogrammes of heroin, one kg of cocaine, and several kgs of cutting agents were seized, with a combined street value of €500,000. Authorities also confiscated around €400,000 in cash, high-end vehicles, and bank accounts, translating to “a total loss of over €1 million” for the traffickers.
The supplier, an Albanian national based in Lyon, obtained the drugs from Belgium and the Netherlands, and distributed them to sellers in Savoie and Haute-Savoie, particularly in Annecy.
The judicial inquiry began in January 2023, when the investigation was entrusted to the drug enforcement unit of the Haute-Savoie Interdepartmental Criminal Police. The five suspects have been placed in provisional detention.
