Super jail in the jungle: France fights terror and drugs!

Super jail in the jungle: France fights terror and drugs!

Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, Französisch-Guayana - France plans to build a new high-security prison in Saint-Laurent-Du-Maroni, a region in French Guayana to counteract the growing threat from drug crime and terrorism. Minister of Justice Gérald Darmanin presented the ambitious project, which should be completed by 2028 and will offer space for around 500 inmates. In addition to a special area for Islamist terrorists, 60 particularly secure places for high -ranking drug dealers are also planned. The construction costs are estimated at around 400 million euros. Vol.at reports that the location is reminiscent of the former French penalty colony, which was known through the book and the film "Papillon".

The prison project aims to combat violence in French prisons and reduce drug crime. Interior Minister Darmanin emphasizes that the Guiana region requires special attention because of its role as an important transshipment point in the international cocaine smuggling. The area has the highest murder rate in France, which underlines the urgency of the project. Among other things, this is documented by 2023, in which the murder rate was 20.6 per 100,000 inhabitants. Gulf News stands out that it is all about the leadership of the organized crime to neutralize and at the same time combat drugs.

protests and security policy debates

The announcement, however, was criticized by the French union CGT, which believes that the overseas area should not be used as a location for criminals from the mainland. Darmanin replied that the citizens of the overseas areas were the same claim to security as those in the mother country. This is also reflected in the increasing attacks on judicial officers and prisons that have been committed in several French cities in recent weeks. In cities such as Toulon, Villepinte and Nanterre, there were attacks with automatic weapons that question social security. The press reports that the National Anti-Terror-St.Wistlungs (PNAT) has taken over the investigation into these attacks.