Alpes-Maritimes: A violinist arrested with 38 kilos of cocaine in his car

A 45-year-old French musician was arrested on August 10 at the La Turbie tollbooth in the Alpes-Maritimes region, while traveling towards Italy on the A8 motorway. During an inspection of his Citroën C5 Aircross, customs officers discovered two hidden compartments under the passenger-side floor. These contained 38,380 kilograms of cocaine, with an estimated street value of over €1,1 million.

A search of his home in the Doubs region also yielded nearly €90,000 in cash, four category B and C firearms, and a large quantity of ammunition. The suspect, married and father of four, had no prior criminal record. He is known as a violinist and attended several conservatories before occasionally performing with the Victor-Hugo Bourgogne-Franche-Comté orchestra.

The defendant admits to having accepted the role of a drug mule.

During his hearing, the man in his forties admitted to transporting the drugs in exchange for a promised payment of €20,000. He claimed this job was offered to him by acquaintances he met during a trip to Albania. However, he maintains he doesn't know who ordered the job and insists he didn't act under duress. Regarding the money found at his home, he claims it was a gift from his father.

The musician explained that he was a sport shooter and legally owned some of his weapons, while acknowledging that some had not been registered. These claims will need to be verified by investigators. Placed in pretrial detention after requesting a delay to prepare his defense, he will be tried on October 9 for offenses related to narcotics, weapons and ammunition possession, and money laundering. He remains presumed innocent until his trial.