Shortly after 2 p.m. on a Tuesday, a crew from the territorial anti-crime brigade was patrolling the new-build neighbourhood in the north of Ivry-sur-Seine, checking the halls of residential buildings.[1] Near Allée Jacques-Laloé, not far from Chinagora, the officers smelled a strong odour of cannabis but could not tell which flat it came from in a building of about ten floors.[1] The officers went back to base, called in the dog unit and set up a second visit an hour later.[1] The police dog stopped in front of one particular door, identifying the suspect flat.[1] An officer rang the bell shouting “Police”, nobody answered, and police forced the door with a battering ram, needing two blows to break it open.[1] The flat was empty of any occupant, and inside police found bags full of drugs in the passageway leading to the living room.[1]

Police seized almost 37 kilos of cannabis, made up of 36 kilos of resin and 1 kilo of herbal cannabis.[1] At retail, the product was valued at more than 300,000 euros.[2]

Nobody had been arrested in the case at the time of reporting.[1] The investigation was taken over by the territorial security service, whose anti-drug brigade is described as long renowned.[1]