The mayor of Avallon, Jamilah Habsaoui, was placed in police custody as part of an investigation into drug trafficking conducted by the gendarmerie research unit in Avallon. Seven individuals, including the mayor and two of her brothers, were also placed in custody, and various locations, including the mayor’s residence, the town hall, her workplace, and a pharmacy, were searched. The searches resulted in the seizure of 983 grams of cocaine, 7,000 euros in cash, and a number of gold bars. While a source initially mentioned the discovery of at least 70 kg of cannabis at the mayor’s home, the prosecutor was unable to confirm this.
Jamilah Habsaoui, a native of Avallon, was elected mayor in March 2021 after serving as a municipal councilor since 2014 and as deputy mayor. She is also a regional councilor responsible for rural affairs in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region. Avallon, which has a population of 6,000 people, is one of the two sub-prefectures of Yonne and is located within the regional natural park of Morvan. Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin provided an update on the “clean sweep” operations against drug trafficking in France, reporting that 7,177 individuals had been arrested since the operations began in early October, with 3.6 tons of drugs seized during 482 operations.
These operations also resulted in the seizure of several hundred weapons and the confiscation of 11.3 million euros in criminal assets. While the Ministry of Justice has yet to disclose the judicial outcomes for those arrested, the French association of investigating judges has criticized the operations, stating that the large-scale mobilization of police resources is insufficient to effectively combat drug trafficking. The ongoing operations have been named “clean sweep” and “clean sweep XXL,” and they have involved a significant deployment of police officers to tackle drug-related crimes.
Gendarmerie sources had revealed earlier that an operation targeting drug trafficking in Avallon had been launched, with searches conducted by the Avallon research unit leading to the discovery of significant quantities of drugs. The mayor’s involvement in the case has raised concerns, given her prominent position in the community and her political responsibilities. The investigation into the alleged drug trafficking activities is ongoing, and further details about the case are expected to emerge as the legal process unfolds. The arrests and seizures made as part of these operations reflect the government’s ongoing efforts to address drug-related crime in France.
