France’s Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin has classified recent gun and arson attacks on prisons in the country as acts of terrorism directed at security officials tasked with guarding high-profile crime figures. These attacks come in the midst of government efforts to crack down on the drug trade, which has fueled a rise in gang violence. The attacks targeted at least six prisons, with vehicles set on fire outside jails and officials threatened at home. The National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office has taken charge of the investigation into the attacks, which also targeted the National School of Prison Administration.
The attacks, which included bullet impacts on the prison walls, have been attributed to a far-left militant group known as “DDPF,” although no claim of responsibility has been made. The rise in gang crime in France has led to increased support for far-right parties and pushed the country’s politics in a rightward direction. Justice Minister Darmanin has proposed measures to tighten prison security, including the creation of high-security jails to isolate top crime leaders.
Lawmakers are also close to passing a new anti-drug trafficking law that would establish a national organized crime prosecutors’ office and give enhanced investigative powers to law enforcement. In February, French authorities successfully recaptured a notorious fugitive known as “The Fly,” who had escaped custody and caused the deaths of two prison guards. Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau has instructed law enforcement to increase security measures to protect prison staff and facilities from further attacks.
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