Drugs: everything you need to know about the economy of trafficking in France – BFMTV.COM

Four days after the death of a teenager near a drug point of sale in Marseille, three men were killed in probable settling of scores against a background of drug trafficking overnight from Saturday to Sunday. A real descent into hell … which hides an incredible business.

The drug economy is about 3 billion euros a year in business. To give an idea: this is the turnover that Nestlé achieves in France.

Thus, the sale of cannabis represents 1.2 billion, followed by that of cocaine with 800 million euros, followed by heroin and synthetic drugs.

On the consumer side, it has around 18 million occasional cannabis smokers, including 1.5 million regular users. 2.1 million occasional cocaine users, including 600,000 regular, 500,000 for heroin, 1.9 million ecstasy, who buy.

Who earns what?

Drug trafficking is a very pyramidal organization. According to the study by the French Observatory for Drugs and Drug Addiction (OFDT). At the top, a few dozen big traffickers, who can earn more than a million euros per year.

Below, between 700 and 1,500 semi-wholesalers, large resellers who sell between 140 and 300 kg of cannabis per year. Estimated turnover: from 253,000 to 552,000 euros per year, or the average salary of the CEO of a company with 2,000 employees!

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At the lower level, between 6,000 and 13,000 “first intermediaries” who distribute 16 to 35 kg of cannabis resin per year, for a gain estimated between 35,000 and 76,000 euros.

At the bottom of the distribution scale, the small street dealers are by far the most numerous: between 58,000 and 127,000, each selling between 1 and 3.6 kg per year. With 4,500 to 10,000 euros per year, these neighborhood actors have an income below the minimum wage.

The traffic made even more violent by the ease of obtaining weapons

It is quite easy to get weapons today, the first prices for a Kalashnikov range from 300 to 400 euros. The clandestine networks are much less organized than drug trafficking. It is very complicated to follow, because a sector is a few copies, which travel in spare parts. many have come from Eastern Europe since the opening of European borders. On the dark web, in a few days, it also happens in pieces.