In court he could not explain why. “I’m sorry. It happened unexpectedly.”Thomas Q, empty-handed. The 24-year-old man appeared before the Paris court on Thursday 19 September for having committed, while he was a peace officer at the administrative detention centre (CRA) in Vincennes (Val-de-Marne), supplying cannabis resin and telephones to several foreigners.
Facts that he acknowledges and that the criminal investigation supports. In particular, the peacekeeper was seen entering and leaving, alone, several rooms in the CRA. In one of the rooms, bags of cannabis were found, as well as phones with compromising messages that the detainees exchanged with him, mentioning a ” delivery “.
It was at night, at his home, when Thomas Q. received drugs, about ten times, between June 2023 and March 2024, according to his admission. The dealers arrived by VTC and provided the police officer with several foreigners interned in the CRA. For each of these transactions, the police officer would have received a commission of 200 euros.
“You explain that you were experiencing financial difficulties”The president of the court reports. The birth of twins, a rent of 600 euros, despite the fact that she had separated from her partner – herself a police officer –, consumer credit… “He goes out a lot, he smokes drugs”added his lawyer, Françoise Pentier.
“It won’t happen again”
Thomas Q. received a salary of 1,700 euros net per month. He was seconded to the Vincennes CRA when he left school in May 2022. “Which means I was at the bottom of the rankings”points out M.my Pentier, who describes his client as an immature and shy young man, recently arrived from Martinique.
“You seem a little detached from the facts, anesthetized. I feel like you don’t realize what’s going on.the prosecutor shouts. Without you this traffic would not be possible. » Thomas Q., on the other hand, claims that one detainee told him: “There are some who already do it. Don’t worry.”a way of saying that the corruption of agents was unprecedented in these places where undocumented foreigners are placed before their expulsion. “Drugs circulate in the CRA like in prison”supports the policeman’s lawyer, who emphasizes that his client “Maybe he also pays for the fact that he didn’t integrate into his team”.
In a low, almost muffled voice, Thomas Q. promises that “It won’t happen again”He was suspended as a precaution by his administration. On Thursday the court sentenced him to 12 months in prison and a five-year ban from working as a police officer.
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