France passes sweeping new drug law as cocaine surge drives crime wave


Member of parliament Sylvain Maillard of the Renaissance party speaks at the National Assembly in Paris, France, January 30, 2024. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier/File Photo

PARIS (Reuters) - French lawmakers on Tuesday approved a sweeping counter-narcotics law to equip the state with tougher tools to fight a sharp rise in drug crime following a record-breaking surge of South American cocaine into Europe.

The new law will create a national prosecutor's office for organised crime, isolate dangerous kingpins in prisons to prevent them from running their empires from behind bars, and allow for the shutdown of businesses that launder drug money.

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