What Does Cocaine Dealing Bring to the Port of Le Havre? It’s like the second season of “The Wire” at the Port of Le Havre. In January, cocaine transit at the port simply exploded. Le Havre is becoming the hub of a trafficking operation primarily targeting the Île-de-France region. In the absence of official statistics on the subject, one can imagine that consumption has skyrocketed.
Port of Le Havre: The Hub of Cocaine Trafficking!
In January 2022, 2.2 tonnes of cocaine were seized at the Port of Le Havre. That’s more than the total for the entire year of 2019. An investigation by “Le Monde” highlights a trafficking operation that has now become ingrained in the daily life of the port.
Investigators go from cargo containers filled with shoe boxes to the shelves. Kilos of cocaine and even the smugglers themselves locked inside the cargo are discovered (see photo). As the police dislodge them, the traffickers destroy their mobile phones. But what does cocaine dealing bring to the Port of Le Havre?
According to investigators, the Port of Le Havre supplies the entire Île-de-France region with cocaine. Within this monstrous leviathan, all networks can be found. Crime personalities rendezvous at the port, alongside individuals with connections to the former Yugoslavia and even a South American identified as a member of the supplying cartel. It’s the crime jet-set among the dockworkers.
What Does Cocaine Dealing Bring to the Port of Le Havre?
According to information revealed by “Le Monde” this morning, the trafficking operation brings in significant profits. Just like in David Simon’s series, dockworkers play an important role in the trade. It costs around €150,000 to secure the services of a “docker recruiter.” The transportation of cargo is valued between €15,000 and €20,000. When reselling, one must acquire €4,000 to obtain a kilogram of cocaine for quantities up to 400 kg, but for larger quantities, it’s €2,500. However, engaging in this trade is also dangerous because the revenues generated by cocaine in Le Havre are enormous.
On June 12, 2020, the body of Alain Affagard was found near an elementary school. The complicit docker in the trafficking operation had alerted the authorities to a “tentacular” operation. He was pursued in that context, but his involvement in the investigation cost him his life.