We have reported before about the troubles faced by SNCM - the ferry operator between Marseille and Corsica. Plagued by industrial disputes, facing bankruptcy and looking for a suitable buyer the last thing it needs is a smuggling charge.
Naturally a ferry could be used to move drugs into Marseille or Corsica, but this case involves the boat's crew. Eight sailors are under investigation for allowing criminals to use their cabins to move all types of drugs, including cocaine and cannabis, between the ports and their knowledge of customs systems to avoid the douanes.
More sinister is the mafia style traffic in arms, including Kalashnikov rifles. Sailors also enabled certain "types du milieu" to travel between the ports without the knowledge of the authorities. The man suspected of organising the activities recruited colleagues he knew to need the money to take part. Camille Abboche was jailed 2 years ago. His lawyer said he wasn't "a hooligan in the strict sense of the word", but was fascinated by those gangster types with their pockets stuffed with cash.
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