Europe11 August, 20262 min read
French Gendarmes Dismantle Drone Drug Trafficking at Villefranche-sur-Saône Prison, Arrest Five
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Five people arrested, including a minor, in dismantling drone-based drug-trafficking network at Villefranche-sur-Saône prison. The operation involved more than 1,800 drone deliveries to the prison over about 51 days.
8 outlets told this the same way.
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Drone parcels into prison
French gendarmerie forces dismantled a drone-based drug-trafficking operation at Villefranche-sur-Saône prison in the Rhône region, arresting five people after more than 1,800 delivery operations in less than two months. Investigators said the network was “particularly well organized” and operated from “two takeoff areas located very close” to the prison, with deliveries made at night by drones without lights that could reveal their location.
Over 51 days, investigators tallied 1,826 delivery operations and seized 500 grams of cannabis, €6,000 in cash, a vehicle, the drone used for deliveries, and 18 batteries. The operation was discovered as part of another investigation started in early June, when gendarmes uncovered the drone scheme to deliver “at night” to inmates, with roughly 30 kg of drugs in total, “mainly cannabis,” sold, according to Michaël Ferreira, commander of the Trévoux company (Ain).
Union fears weapons use
A union source told AFP, “We’re not surprised,” saying prison staff do not have adequate means to counter this type of smuggling. That same source explained, “We hear the drone, but we don’t know where it is or to which cell the payload is delivered,” describing how deliveries at night are made by devices without lights.
The union source added that officers fear drones could be used in the future to bring in weapons, for example, and the gendarmerie said the organization was “particularly structured” and operated from “two takeoff zones located in the immediate vicinity” of the prison. In parallel, Le Figaro reported that on August 4 the gendarmerie mobilized four surveillance and intervention platoons of the gendarmerie (PSIG) and three canine units, with three suspects arrested in the act and two later arrested at their homes.
Courts and broader drone rise
The gendarmerie statement said the minor among the five suspects will be tried in September and placed in a closed educational center until his trial, while four adults will appear in October, with three remanded in custody. Le Figaro said the minor was presented to the criminal court in immediate appearance on August 6 and that the minor’s trial is set for September 2, while the four adults’ hearings are set for October 5.
French authorities also pointed to a broader rise in drone activity over prisons, with the prison administration telling AFP in January that about 5,000 drone overflights or attempted overflights of prisons were recorded in France in 2025, compared to more than 800 in 2024. The gendarmerie said the investigation counted 1,826 air deliveries in 51 days, and the seized items included 500 grams of cannabis, 6,000 euros in cash, a drone, and 18 batteries used for deliveries.