After the various attacks on prisons between April 13 and 14, including the one in Valence, 21 suspects are to be presented to the courts this Friday, May 2 for examination. The National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office (Pnat) is leaving this investigation to the National Jurisdiction for Organized Crime.
Following a major crackdown between April 28 and 30, 21 suspects are to be presented to investigating judges in Paris on Friday, May 2 for examination. The investigation showed that the attacks on prisons and prison officers were carried out by narcotics traffickers.
Pre-trial detention has been requested for these 21 individuals, including two minors and seven already incarcerated, stated the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office (Pnat) and the National Jurisdiction for Organized Crime (Junalco) in a joint statement on Friday, May 2. The latter is now solely responsible for the investigations.
A single procedure regarding the main suspects remains, for which the PNAT hands over to the JUNALCO of the Paris prosecutor’s office, exclusively competent for crimes related to very serious organized crime.
Joint StatementPNAT / JUNALCO
«Among the suspects» is «the one who is believed to be the creator of the first Telegram account entitled DDPF (Defense of French Prisoners) and the author of the claim text distributed on this channel, criticizing the prison conditions,» they emphasized. Already in detention, convicted of common law offenses, he is soon to be tried «for offenses related to Marseille’s narcobanditism, close to the DZ Mafia.»
Two separate proceedings, concerning acts committed in Tarascon on April 16 and in Villefontaine on April 17 and 21, have been linked to the main investigation, «due to the connections found,» the statement clarified.
Furthermore, an adult and a minor are being brought before a investigating judge in Lyon on Friday, May 2, as the offenses they are suspected of could not be linked to the main investigation.
The judicial investigation opened on Friday, May 2 by Junalco includes charges of «criminal association for the preparation of crimes and offenses» and «attempted murder in an organized gang» or «destruction of property by dangerous means in an organized gang,» focusing on about fifteen actions targeting prisons and prison officers since April 13.
Between April 13 and 14, a series of violent actions and fires targeted several prisons in France, as well as the National Penitentiary Administration School (Enap) in Agen. The tag «DDPF» first appeared on Sunday, April 13, near seven cars set on fire in the Enap parking lot. A series of fires involving cars belonging to prison staff followed across France, as well as fireworks mortar shots at prisons, and even Kalashnikov gunfire, notably in Toulon. On April 14, the Valence prison was targeted. Shortly before 10 pm, two cars belonging to prison guards were set on fire. They were parked in the Valence prison center parking lot.
After the various attacks on prisons between April 13 and 14, including the one in Valence, 21 suspects are set to be presented to the justice system for indictment on Friday, May 2. L’enquête menée par le Parquet national antiterroriste (Pnat) a été transférée à la Juridiction nationale de lutte contre la criminalité organisée. After the various attacks targeting prisons between April 13 and 14, including the one in Valence, 21 suspects are set to appear before the courts on Friday, May 2 for indictment.
The investigation into the burning of two cars belonging to prison guards in front of the Valence prison on the night of April 14-15, 2025, led to the involvement of the anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office. The nature of the acts, the chosen targets, and the coordinated nature of the actions committed across multiple locations prompted the prosecutor to take on the case. The aim was to disrupt public order through intimidation, as claimed on social media by a group called «DDPF».
Further investigations revealed incidents involving gunshots and the throwing of Molotov cocktails at a housing estate in Villefontaine on April 21, where prison officers reside, near the Saint-Quentin-Fallavier prison.
Following the initial wave of attacks on prisons, 30 individuals, including four minors, were arrested between Monday, April 28, and Wednesday, April 30, in a nationwide crackdown. Seven individuals were released from custody without charges at this stage.
However, the subsequent investigation did not find evidence linking these coordinated actions to terrorist activities aimed solely at disrupting public order through intimidation or terror. The authorities clarified that there was no indication of violent radical ideology or foreign interference, despite thorough exploration of these avenues. Instead, the investigations firmly established the connection to organized crime.
The modus operandi uncovered in the investigations revealed a recurring pattern: directives for actions were disseminated by the instigator of the DDPF movement on a Telegram channel, with offers for actions circulated on social media, recruits enlisted, and actions carried out for a significant fee. This operational method mirrored the tactics employed by criminal organizations for executing missions.
Over 300 investigators nationwide were involved in these investigations conducted by the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office in constant coordination with the Joint Unit for the Fight against Organized Crime.
Minister of Justice, Gérald Darmanin, attributed the attacks to organized crime from the outset. In a social media post on April 15, he emphasized the Republic’s resolve in the face of intimidation tactics, including vehicle fires and automatic weapon shootings targeting penitentiary facilities. The Republic’s measures against drug trafficking were portrayed as disruptive to criminal networks, leading to challenges that would be met with firmness and courage.
The Parliament definitively passed a proposed law on Tuesday, April 29, aimed at strengthening the fight against drug traffickers.
As the investigation progresses, 21 suspects are awaiting their court appearance on Friday, May 2, to face charges related to the attacks on prisons in April. The National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office (Pnat) is handing over this investigation to the National Jurisdiction for Combating Organized Crime.
After a major crackdown between April 28 and 30, 21 suspects are set to be presented on Friday, May 2 to investigating judges responsible for organized crime in Paris for possible indictment. The investigation has revealed that the attacks on prisons and prison officers were carried out by drug traffickers.
Pre-trial detention has been requested for these 21 individuals, including two minors and seven who are already incarcerated, as stated in a joint statement released on Friday, May 2, by the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office (Pnat) and the National Jurisdiction for Combating Organized Crime (Junalco). The latter is now solely responsible for the investigations.
«A unique procedure concerning the main suspects remains, for which the Pnat is transferring jurisdiction to the Paris public prosecutor’s office, exclusively competent for crimes related to very serious organized crime,» state the two entities.
Among the suspects is someone who is believed to be the creator of the first Telegram account titled DDPF (Defense of French Prisoners) and the author of the claim text distributed on this channel, criticizing the prison conditions. Already in detention, convicted of common law offenses, he is soon to be tried for offenses related to Marseille’s drug trafficking, close to the DZ Mafia.
Two separate procedures for incidents in Tarascon on April 16 and Villefontaine on April 17 and 21 are linked to the main investigation due to the connections identified, according to the statement.
Additionally, an adult and a minor are being brought before an investigating judge in Lyon on Friday, May 2, as the offenses they are suspected of could not be linked to the main investigation.
The judicial investigation opened on Friday, May 2 by the Junalco includes charges such as «criminal association for the preparation of crimes and offenses,» «attempted murder by an organized group,» and «destruction of property belonging to others using dangerous means committed by an organized group» related to about fifteen actions targeting prisons and prison officers starting from April 13.
Between April 13 and 14, a series of violent actions and fires targeted several penitentiary institutions in France, as well as the National Penitentiary Administration School (Enap) in Agen. The tag «DDPF» first appeared on Sunday, April 13, near seven burnt cars in the Enap parking lot. A series of car fires involving prison staff followed throughout France, as well as fireworks and even Kalashnikov shots fired at prisons, notably in Toulon. On April 14, Valence prison was targeted, with two prison guards’ cars set on fire just before 10 pm on the prison center’s parking lot in Valence.
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