“Customs confronted with agile and sophisticated organized crime”

ORGANIZED CRIME She was welcomed by Mayor Nathalie Bicais, who accompanied her during her visit to the Méditerranée base of Orange Marine. Indeed, the company places one of its docks at the disposal of the largest of the three patrol boats of the Direction nationale Garde-côtes des douanes (DNGCD). This visit was an opportunity to highlight the actions of the douane in terms of surveillance, fighting fraud, and supporting and protecting economic actors in a degraded international context.

It is part of the government strategy to reinforce control resources and fight against illicit trafficking. HISTORIC SEIZURES According to Amélie de Montchalin: “2024 was an exceptional year for the Douane in many respects. The events of the past year (JO Paris 2024, cyclone Chido in Mayotte, riots in Nouvelle-Calédonie) required the absolute mobilization of the various customs services.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the sense of public interest of the agents who are on the front line against those who want to gangrene our country, and their commitment, sometimes at the risk of their lives.

Thus, she added: “As part of the fight against drug trafficking, more than 110 tonnes of narcotics, all products combined, were seized (17.7% more than in 2023 at the national level), including nearly one tonne in the Paca and Corse region. The total is equivalent, in financial value, to €1.2 billion. Cocaine seizures doubled between 2023 and 2024, reaching an unprecedented level of 21 tonnes, the highest result in 10 years.

A record level also for ecstasy seizures with 5.8 million pills. And, 92 networks were dismantled. Every tonne seized, every network dismantled is one more victory for the respect of the law.”

For the minister, the Douane services must face an agile and sophisticated organized crime, and a proliferation of firearms and explosives, especially since 3D printing has become more accessible, facilitating the manufacture and transport of weapons. In this context, more than 600,000 weapons, ammunition, and weapon parts were seized in 2024, including 881 firearms (+13% compared to 2023) and 147 weapons of war (+44%), and 18,274 explosives.

Furthermore, illicit tobacco trafficking finances criminal activity and destroys local business. In this regard, the minister announced some results: “489 tonnes were seized for an amount of €158.5 million and three factories were dismantled.

The fundamental challenges can only be met at the European level. I am in favor of a stricter limitation on the quantity of tobacco that can be brought back to France from abroad.”

She added: “We must go after the proceeds of trafficking, hit where it hurts, meaning the wallet. €600 million in criminal assets were seized or identified in 2024. That is three times more than in 2023. This financial strategy, which consists of suffocating trafficking, is already bearing fruit.

Unprecedented levels have been reached with €20 billion of illicit flows uncovered. We must dry up the problem at the source, before the money disappears abroad via shell companies,” concluded, firmly, Amélie de Montchalin.