On June 17th, a strange ballet took place on the banks of Sainte-Rose. Once again, the city known for its fishing port becomes the scene of a Zamal cargo. Alarmed, the gendarmes of the Sainte-Rose Brigade rush to the scene of the crime.
The patrol notes that the tip is first-hand. No fewer than 19 holdalls and four bales are waiting on the water to be picked up by a boat from Mauritius. In the luggage are no less than 147 kilos of Zamal and 946.65 grams of cannabis resin. Everything perfectly packaged, compacted as desired. The market value on the sister island, where cannabis is traded at exorbitant prices, is estimated at 3 million euros.
A headliner and three accomplices
Not far from the store of green gold, the gendarmes arrest 46-year-old Armand. The man appears to be standing guard as he waits with other Mauritians for a boat to arrive. He is finally taken on board by the gendarmerie patrol for police custody.
In the meantime, the soldiers have called for reinforcements. Two suspects were intercepted in a vehicle parked nearby. Jean-Giovanni, 34, drives. At his side is Hémeric, 29, the headliner of the traffic. A fourth man fell through the cracks. Jérôme, 31, will face the gendarmes after learning that his accomplices are in their hands.
Four other suspects were arrested. Small fish on the edge of the business. The reason for this is that they will be sentenced in plea mode at the beginning of the year. During police custody, led by the gendarmes of the Saint-Benoît company and the Saint-Denis research department, the eight Saint-Pierrois will make detailed confessions and take their share of the responsibility in a lucrative business they didn’t necessarily know the ins and outs.
“Risk of Retaliation”
Armand confirms that he stored the goods at his place at the request of Hémeric, the head of the operation. The latter, moreover, have taken the necessary steps to obtain the Zamal at wholesale prices. Like them, Jean-Giovanni got his hands dirty to pack the goods and transport them safely to Sainte-Rose. The least involved of the gang is Jérôme. He took part in the expedition to the east to keep watch and on the side provide the padlocks for the bags.
Brought before the Saint-Denis public prosecutor’s office on Tuesday and remanded in custody, Hémeric and his associates headed the court yesterday to answer charges of imprisonment, transport and attempt or complicity in the export of narcotics, but also criminal Union. With the exception of Jérôme, who was charged only on the last two counts.
After the band’s “brains” asked for a delay to prepare their defense, the court decided to postpone their trial until next July 6 for everyone. Meanwhile, defense attorneys pleaded for placing them under close judicial oversight, arguing that they were all first-time offenders and that they were “very clear about their role with a leader and follower,” gives Me Roberto Ova for Jean – John. Me Chantal Daguerre recalls for Armand that he “has not changed his statements”, that he is “credible” and that he is not a “leader”. Me Charles Bergier also recalls that his client Jérôme “presented himself to the gendarmerie when he knew he was wanted”.
Despite the arguments developed by the black robes, the four defendants were held in custody pending trial, as requested by Assistant Prosecutor Fanny Gauvin. The judge had “highlighted the scale of the trade, the risks of pressure and reprisals related to the remaining narcotics debt, and the lack of representation guarantees when they all face up to 10 years in prison.”
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> A casting with atypical profiles
The four defendants do not have criminal profiles. All have clean criminal records. For their introduction, however, they did not do things by halves and risked up to ten years in prison. For beginners, they have afforded the luxury of breaking a record by attempting to sell Maurice the trifle of 148 kilos of Zamal for a whopping €3 million market value.
That being said, these would-be traffickers are more or less integrated into society. Hémeric, the headliner, is a father of two. This central kitchen worker, without a salary because he was on sick leave for almost two years, was trying to repay a €6,500 gambling debt he had taken on in Batay Coq circles. Jérôme, pizza maker at Les Assedics, is also addicted to gambling and admits he made “a big mistake”.
Jean-Giovanni, on the other hand, is the manager of a fruit and vegetable company that pays little. Strangled by bills and debt, this father who has been working in the fields since childhood swears he won’t get caught there. Ditto for Armand, an unlucky father with the RSA. He discovered in police custody that he was involved in human trafficking for €3 million when he received an unfortunate €300 for a role that would likely cost him up to 10 years in prison.