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3d ago

France Expands Nationwide Phone Seizures in Drug Cases

Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin has instructed prosecutors to confiscate mobile phones from drug users and traffickers when linked to illegal transactions, building on a Bayonne pilot program.

Le ministre de la justice, Gérald Darmanin, a annoncé jeudi 24 avril la généralisation de l’expérimentation de la confiscation des téléphones portables des consommateurs de drogues.
La police pourrait bientôt confisquer les téléphones portables des consommateurs de drogue.
Gérald Darmanin dans la cour de l'Elysée, à Paris, en mars 2025.
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Overview

  • The new policy mandates the seizure of mobile phones used by drug consumers and traffickers to arrange purchases via calls, texts, or encrypted messaging apps like WhatsApp and Telegram.
  • Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin issued a circular on April 24, 2025, instructing all French prosecutors to implement the measure nationwide.
  • The initiative builds on a successful pilot program in Bayonne, where systematic phone confiscation was used as a deterrent against drug-related offenses.
  • Under existing French law, authorities can seize and sell assets, including phones, before a judicial conviction is secured.
  • The measure supplements the existing €200 flat fine for small-scale drug offenses, aiming to disrupt the logistics of urban drug markets and delivery-style trafficking models.