France surprised a coordinated attack on prisons
Against the background, there is probably a hard clash with cartels.
The message was originally published on the web Aktualně.cz
France faces an unprecedented wave of attacks on its prison institutions. On the night of Monday to Tuesday, there were coordinated attacks in nine cities in which there was aid, shooting and threats addressed directly to prison staff.
Investigators call actions as a terrorist conspiracy and the state approaches incidents with maximum seriousness. Against the background of the attacks, there is probably a hard clash with drug cartels.
The French Republic has become the target of an attack that, according to investigators, is beyond the normal criminal categories. On the night of 14 to 15 April, France hit a wave of attacks on prisons across the country.
The attacks were targeted by facilities in Toulon, Marseille, Aix-en-Provence, Valence, Nîmes, Luynes, Villepinte and Nanterre-a total of nine places. The attackers shot at the prison gates, burned the guards’ cars and left threatening messages.
The French authorities speak of an unprecedented threat to public order. The Counter -Public Prosecutor’s Office began an investigation for suspicion of a terrorist conspiracy, an attempt to murder and the destruction of property by an organized group. The DGSI home news service is also involved in the investigation.
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Shooting in Toulon, arson in Marseille
The most serious incident took place in the port city of Toulon, where the entrance gate of the prison was shot from the Salva of Automatic Weapons. Although no one has been injured, the symbolic meaning of such an attack is very high, according to security experts.
In Marseille, there was then an attempt to attack the facility associated with the local prison. According to witnesses, the attackers used incendiary bottles. In other cities, car prison cars were burned.
The Union of Justice Union of UFAP-nsa said the attacks were pre-thought and timed. The attackers focused exclusively on the persons associated with the prison service.
« It is clear that the goal is to intimidate and paralyze the entire prison system, » said National Secretary of Trade Union Wilfried Fonck in an interview with BFM.
Face to face with criminal networks
The French authorities give attacks into a direct connection with the current offensive of the state against organized crime, especially drug cartels.
Minister of Justice Gérald Darmanin confirmed on the X platform that attempts to intimidate prison staff will not weaken the government’s determination to fight drug structures.
Darmanin also said he would visit a prison in Toulon, which was the target of shooting to support the local staff. « Attempts to intimidate the prison staff ranged from the fire to the fire to shooting from automatic weapons, » he said on the network X.
Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau has added an even sharper message: « The state must respond without grace. Those who attack the prisons and their staff should be imprisoned and guarded by those they want to intimidate. »
At the same time, Retailleau announced that he had been strengthened by security measures around the prison facilities. Police and GIGN units were deployed to protect the key devices.
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Defense of prisoners or terrorist propaganda?
In its statement, the French Prosecutor’s Office mentioned a new group called Droits des Prisonniers Français – the rights of French prisoners. This group partially applied for responsibility on social networks and presented attacks in response to alleged injustice to prisoners.
Investigators were reluctant to confirm whether it was a separate group or a larger network supported by a drug cartel.
Neither the link to ultra -left radical cells cannot be excluded. « The aim of these acts is clearly a disruption of public order through terror and intimidation, » the prosecutor’s office said.
Narkoterorism in French style
Drug relations are quite essential. France is facing a record increase in the use of cocaine. In 2023, this drug was taken by at least once 1.1 million people.
In 2024, 47 tons of cocaine were detained – twice the quantity of detained in 2023.
French ports, especially Le Havre, Marseille and Dunkerque, have become the main entry points for drugs, mainly from Colombia and Brazil. Cocaine is often hidden in containers with fruit, fish or even in underwater drones attached to the bottom of the boat.
Therefore, the state has tightened the control of prisons in recent months. The authorities increased the number of raids in prisons and introduced stricter supervision of convicted dealers.
These steps could have triggered current escalation. According to some experts, this is a « demonstration of power » that organized crime sends towards the state.
With the growth of cocaine trade, new forms of violence are also coming. In the south of France, especially in Marseille, there are clashes among young gangs that recall street shooting, explosions and kidnapping.
The media is already talking about « narcoterorism in the French way ». Only in 2023, 49 people were killed in Marseille, and more than 300 teenagers were arrested with drug crime.
Impact on the prison system
French prisons have been overcrowded for a long time and have a lack of staff. A series of attacks from this week planted another blow.
Trade unions report an increase in concern among employees. Many employees are considering temporary interruption of work or warning strikes if the state does not provide sufficient protection.
« Our people are facing threats, their cars are burning, their families are scared. The state must act – quickly and decide, » sends the legacy of the Federal Autonomous Union of Prisoners (UFAP -Úsa Justice).
Vice -Chairman of another trade union of FO Justice said that « these criminal acts are a direct attack on our institution, the Republic and the employees who serve it daily ».
The Trade Union calls on a « strong, immediate and unambiguous reaction of the state ». At the local level, there are challenges for practical steps, and the trade unionists ask the government to release funds to increase safety in prisons and turn them into « impregnable » devices.
« These targeted, cowardly and abominable attacks have a single goal – to terrorize those who represent the authority of the state every day. We call on the Ministers of the Interior and Justice to take decisive common measures, » the statement said.
