French Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin confirmed on Tuesday that several prisons across the country were attacked overnight in what authorities believe to be a coordinated effort linked to France’s intensified anti-drug trafficking strategy.
Darmanin, who is traveling to the southern city of Toulon where one of the attacks occurred, vowed to support prison staff and reaffirmed the French Republic’s commitment to confronting the growing issue of narcotics and related criminal networks.
The attacks, which took place on Sunday and Monday night, involved a range of violent and destructive tactics. Vehicles were set on fire, prison gates were damaged, and firearms were used to target correctional facilities.
“Attempts have been made to intimidate staff in several prisons, ranging from burning vehicles to firing automatic weapons,” Darmanin stated on social media platform X.
He further emphasized that the French government would respond decisively to the escalating threat posed by organized criminal groups.
Among the prisons targeted were Villepinte, a facility located north of Paris, and others in southern France. At Villepinte, three vehicles, including two belonging to prison staff, were set on fire in the parking lot.
Police discovered a fuel canister on-site, and CCTV footage showed two individuals setting the vehicles ablaze. Similar attacks occurred at other prisons, including one near Paris and two in southern regions.
In Toulon, on the French Mediterranean coast, prison authorities reported 15 bullet impacts on the front gate of the facility, attributed to a Kalashnikov-type assault rifle. Additionally, vehicles were torched and gates damaged at the Aix prison, near Toulon.
The attacks have raised concerns about the vulnerability of France’s prison system, especially in light of the country’s escalating efforts to combat narcotics trafficking.
Sources close to the investigation told AFP that the incidents seemed to be part of a coordinated campaign linked to the government’s anti-drug gang strategy.
“All this appeared to have been coordinated and is clearly linked to the anti-drug gang strategy,” said the source.
In response, prison unions, including FO Justice, have called for a “strong, clear response” from the government, highlighting the severity of the attacks as an affront to the republic and the staff who serve within the system.
The French prison system has long been under strain, with calls for more security measures and personnel. Prison staff union FO Justice pointed out that the recent attacks were part of a broader pattern of criminal acts targeting France’s correctional facilities.
“These criminal acts are a full-on attack on our institution, on the republic and the staff who serve the republic every day,” the union said in a statement.
Wilfried Fonck, national secretary for the Ufap Unsa Justice union, stressed the lack of sufficient staff to adequately secure the prison perimeters around the clock.
The national anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office has taken charge of the investigation, with the Directorate General of Internal Security (DGSI) also involved in the inquiry.
Authorities are working to identify the perpetrators and uncover any broader criminal networks behind the attacks.
The French government’s response to the attacks will likely set the tone for its ongoing battle against organized crime, especially in the context of narcotics and gang violence.
As the investigation unfolds, prison officials and staff remain on high alert, awaiting further protective measures to secure their workplaces and restore order in the country’s prisons.
