On Thursday, January 15, two brothers aged 26 and 22 appeared before the local court of Saint-Martin for serious offenses, including the possession of weapons of war and the trafficking of hard drugs.
The younger of the two, IR, was summoned via videoconference from the Basse-Terre detention center, while his older brother, Ig.R., appeared handcuffed and surrounded by gendarmes.
The details of the events are serious: on December 6, 2023, law enforcement officers began a search of their home in Colombier as part of an armed robbery investigation. In one of the bedrooms, they found a long gun along with ammunition of military caliber (category A). In a shed adjoining the house, investigators also discovered 220 grams of cannabis and 31 bags of cocaine. On social media, the brothers shared photos and videos of the bags labeled “for sale,” as well as pictures of money orders from the Blois region for significant sums of money, indicating the existence of a large-scale drug trafficking operation between Saint-Martin and mainland France.
The defendants’ defense appears flimsy: the weapons and bags of cocaine were allegedly stolen from a mysterious individual residing in Orient Bay, without any further details. The two brothers deny the charges. However, witnesses in the neighborhood claim that drug trafficking exists in Colombier and Sint Maarten. Their distraught mother confirms having seen her sons in possession of weapons. Furthermore, their criminal records are riddled with convictions and prison sentences.
In light of this record, the verdict is intended to be firm and exemplary: three years’ imprisonment and a €5000 fine are handed down after 45 minutes of deliberation.
Source: Faxinfo https://faxinfo.fr/en/tribunal-trafic-de-drogue-deux-freres-ecopent-de-trois-ans-de-detention/
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