The Vendin-le-Vieil Penitentiary Center (Pas-de-Calais) was to welcome its first detainees from July 31. Finally, the “first 17 drug traffickers” have already been incarcerated there, announces Gérald Darmanin this Tuesday, July 22.
Gérald Darmanin, the Minister of Justice, announces this Tuesday, July 22 on X that “the first 17 narcotickers, among the most dangerous in our country” joined the new high security prison in Vendin-le-Vieil after “hard work”.
“Less than 5 months after” the announcement made by the Keeper of the Seals, the first detainees entered this penitentiary center “after a transfer in extraordinary security conditions”.
4 million euros in work
The prison had been gradually emptied, since the beginning of April, of the majority of its 90 prisoners in order to accommodate work in the amount of 4 million euros. In particular to install hygiaphones and cells with double handcuffing, doors, grids and caillebotis with windows.
A door stop system is also provided, in addition to the creation of videoconferencing rooms to avoid extractions, unless otherwise reviewed by the magistrate.
According to information from BFMTV, only five detainees had remained within this prison, including Rédoine Faïd and Salah Abdeslam. Of these five, not everyone will remain in this time prison.
The detention of criminals has been particularly reinforced, in particular with a restriction of telephony time slots (2×2 hours/week) to guarantee listening in real time, systematic full excavations after any contact with the outside constant monitoring of the penitentiary administration or the deletion of access to family life units.
Mohamed soon incarcerated in the prison
With Condé-sur-Sarthe, Vendin-le-Vieil is one of the two high security prisons designated On March 6 by the government to eventually welcome 200 drug traffickers, deemed the most dangerous in the country by the authorities. Their prison of isolation is inspired by the anti-mafia fight in Italy.
Mohamed Amra will be incarcerated in this prison, for example, learned BFMTV on July 15. The drug trafficker had escaped the 14 from 2024 When the vehicle of the prison administration which transported it had been attacked by an armed commando in the Puncilian toll, killing two agents and having three injured. The latter is not one of the first prisoners already incarcerated, according to information from BFMTV.
At least two detainees, including Guy B., nicknamed “Mareko Scarla”, also challenge their transfer to the prison. Vendin-le-Vieil being now officially active, the rest of the detainees will gradually join this “wave” prison for obvious security reasons, a source close to BFMTV said last week.
Then, by October 15, it will be around the prison of Condé-sur-Sarthe (Orne) to be transformed to welcome the second wave of 100 prisoners among the most dangerous in the country.
Finally, the third and last high security prison to open its doors will be in the heart of the Amazon jungle, in Guyana. It will more precisely be an ultra -buyed prison district, including 60 places out of a total of 500 for the rest of the prison. A project at 400 million euros, opened by 2028, with the promise of the Keeper of the Seals “to keep the Narcotrafic network heads sustainably.