French police have detained dozens of people suspected of involvement in the mid-April prison attacks, French media reported on Monday.
The detentions took place in the Paris region, Marseille, Lyon and Bordeaux. A total of 22 people were detained.
On the night of April 15, several penitentiaries in France were attacked by criminal groups. The attackers opened fire with automatic weapons on correctional facilities and also set fire to parked prison guard vehicles.
Detention centres in Marseille, Valence and Toulon, among others, were attacked. BFMTV sources earlier reported that the attacks were a coordinated action by the criminal community in response to the authorities’ plans to tighten the fight against drug trafficking.
Drug trafficking in France has risen sharply in recent years. Statistics show that between 2023 and 2024, drug trafficking in the country increased by 130 per cent. This puts it at the top of Europe in terms of illegal drug sales and use.
Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau announced the statistics on April 23: 65 attacks were recorded, including attempts that were prevented.
The participants of the Telegram group “Defence of Rights of French prisoners (DDPF)” take responsibility for these crimes. According to them, the conditions of serving sentences due to prison overcrowding are very difficult.
As of March 1, France’s correctional facilities were 131% full. In addition, DDPF members say that the procedure for searching prisoners is humiliating to human dignity.
