A large-scale gendarmerie operation targeting a drug trafficking network culminated in 13 arrests on February 10, 2026, in and around Persan, Val-d’Oise. The operation, involving nearly 150 officers, uncovered a significant quantity of narcotics and a substantial amount of cash, alongside evidence of money laundering through sports betting.
The investigation, initiated in November 2025 by the Val-d’Oise gendarmerie group’s experimental targeting and intelligence convergence cell, focused on a known drug dealing location, referred to as “block 14,” in the Village district of Persan. Searches yielded approximately 12 kilograms of cannabis resin, 150 grams of cannabis herb, and 10 grams of cocaine. Authorities also seized a vehicle, around 31,000 euros in cash and funds held in bank accounts, a handgun, approximately 100 rounds of ammunition, and luxury leather goods, according to the Pontoise public prosecutor’s office.
The trafficking operation was allegedly orchestrated from Morocco by an individual banned from staying in France following a 2024 prison release. Local organizers managed the supply and distribution of narcotics, both at the Persan dealing point and through deliveries across the Île-de-France region.
Further investigation, aided by the interministerial research group (GIR) of Cergy, revealed a money laundering scheme operating through a tobacco bar in Chambly, Oise. Between October 2025 and January 2026, approximately 230,000 euros derived from drug trafficking was allegedly laundered through sports betting at the establishment. The manager of the tobacco bar is among those under suspicion.
Authorities described the network as “structured and hierarchical,” operating with minimal stockpiles to reduce risk. “They operate in tight flow. They try as much as possible not to have any stock,” a source close to the investigation stated.
Following their arrests on February 10, six of the thirteen suspects were presented to the criminal court for immediate trial, based on their prior criminal records and involvement in the trafficking. That trial has been postponed until April 8, and those individuals remain in pre-trial detention. The remaining seven suspects opted for a plea bargain and received sentences ranging from day fines to three years imprisonment.
On February 13, 2026, a separate investigation by the L’Isle-Adam Research Brigade resulted in the seizure of an additional 12 kilograms of cannabis, 150 grams of herbal cannabis, and 10 grams of cocaine.
