Six volumes thickened by the procedures involving four alleged drug traffickers stand before the president of the court Philippe Rousseau and his assessors. Judged this Tuesday, February 28 in Thionville, the quartet, presented free and unfavorably known to justice, opts for a solo defense in this trial which seems to bind them, after the discovery of 18 kg of cannabis herb lodged in the trunk. of a car from Belgium, and uncovered by the police, under surveillance near a box in Rosselange.
In fact, it is the culmination of preliminary work started by investigators from Lille, cyber-gendarmes who succeeded in hacking the Encrochat encrypted messaging service, a reputed channel of choice for organized crime through which the suspects would have passed via a nickname, and which would put them all in the loop of guilt for the facts with which they are accused.
One of them, at whose home ecstasy pills (90) were found, admits having taken on the role of driver of the car stolen from Talange and said to be carrying the drug, returning on October 20, 2020 from Belgium. Another, presented as “the financier” of the operation, argues that the €30,000 found at his home comes from the generosity of the guests of his recent wedding, and from his working capital necessary for his activity as a car dealer. occasion, an illegal time according to his confession. The third is not very talkative and the last, presented as a “totally innocent” heroin user, cries out against injustice.
“A well-established team”?
Convinced of being in the presence of “a well-rehearsed team”, with regard to this “long-term investigation”, the public prosecutor’s office represented by Emeline Dannenberger requested firm prison sentences with a warrant of committal for all of the interested parties and the confiscation of seals – a vehicle and a large sum of money –. The northern Moselle court agreed with him. The uncle and nephew of the Regaia* family, Sofiane and Mehdi, were sentenced to 2 years in prison. Yassine Kerrouche and Quentin Kajetaniak-Biasutti are off for 18 months in prison. They emerged free from the hearing, pending the possible adjustment of their sentences. The owner of the stolen vehicle was awarded the sum of 362 euros in compensation for her damage.
* Identity published from one year in prison.
