France organizes interministerial meeting on drug trafficking fight

France is convening an interministerial committee on Friday at Hôtel de Matignon to address the escalating problem of organized crime and drug trafficking. The meeting will be presided over by Sébastien Lecornu, with approximately ten ministers in attendance, including the ministers of the Interior and Justice.

This high-level gathering comes in response to a recent surge in violence and intimidation linked to rivalries among drug traffickers. These criminal activities have become increasingly brazen, sometimes disregarding the safety of local residents.

The initiative echoes President Emmanuel Macron's previous emergency meetings on drug trafficking, the first of which was held in November and the most recent on March 17. These meetings aim to tackle the growing threat posed by drug-related crime.

Recent incidents highlight the severity of the issue. In Nantes, a young man was killed in a drug-related shooting, shortly after another teenager died in a similar incident. In Grenoble, a man was killed and three others injured in a shooting near a known drug dealing location. The discovery of a burnt-out car containing a body in Échirolles, leading to a murder investigation, further underscores the grim reality.