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Roya News
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Roya News
France to build $450M high-security jungle prison in South America
France has unveiled plans to construct a 400 million euro (USD 451 million) high-security prison deep in the Amazon jungle of French Guiana, aimed at cutting off dangerous criminals from their networks and cracking down on organized crime. The announcement was made by French Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin during a visit to the South American territory, where he emphasized the need for a tougher approach to drug trafficking and extremism. The facility, expected to open by 2028, will be located in the remote northwestern commune of Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni—once the grim entry point to France's notorious Devil's Island penal colony. It will house up to 500 inmates, including a specialized wing for the most high-risk individuals. In an interview with Le Journal du Dimanche (JDD), Darmanin described the upcoming prison as part of a broader national strategy to dismantle organized criminal operations. 'We want to incapacitate the most dangerous drug traffickers,' he said, noting that the prison would enforce an 'extremely strict carceral regime.' Crucially, the justice minister framed the facility as a tool to sever drug lords from their influence. 'Drug lords will no longer be able to have any contact with their criminal networks,' Darmanin told JDD, citing the prison's extreme isolation and security protocols. French Guiana, a French overseas region bordering Brazil and Suriname, has long been a key transit point for narcotics smuggling routes into Europe. Officials hope the new prison—strategically located along these routes—will serve as a choke point for traffickers at the early stages of the supply chain. The initiative follows a string of violent incidents across France in recent months, where prison staff and facilities have been targeted by armed attackers. In some cases, perpetrators set vehicles ablaze outside prisons or opened fire, claiming to act in defense of inmates' rights. French authorities suspect these attacks are a backlash to sweeping reforms aimed at dismantling criminal networks. Earlier this year, the government introduced new legislation to give prosecutors and investigators greater powers, and to offer special protections for informants. The law also provides for the construction of multiple high-security prisons, including the one in French Guiana. The new facility will address long-standing challenges such as the widespread use of smuggled mobile phones in French prisons—tens of thousands are believed to be in circulation—by enforcing stricter controls on inmate communications. French Guiana's unique legal status as an overseas region means its residents are full French citizens with voting rights and access to France's social services. Yet its remote geography makes it an ideal site, officials say, for detaining individuals deemed too dangerous to remain on the mainland. The jungle site also evokes echoes of history. Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni was the departure point for thousands of prisoners sent to the brutal penal colonies of the 19th and early 20th centuries, immortalized in Henri Charrière's memoir Papillon, later adapted into a film starring Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman.
Time of India
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Why France is building a high-security prison deep in the Amazon jungle
With organized crime growing across Europe, France is planning a major move to take back control of its prison system. The government has announced plans to build a high-security prison deep in the Amazon rainforest, in its overseas territory of French Guiana. The goal is to keep some of the country's most dangerous criminals, like drug traffickers and extremists, completely cut off from the outside world. By placing them in such a remote location, authorities hope to stop these prisoners from running criminal networks even while behind bars. French Guiana: A strategic location French Guiana, on the northeastern coast of South America, has been a key route in the international drug trade for years. Its remote location and closeness to drug-producing countries like Brazil and Suriname have made it a hotspot for criminal networks. By building the new prison here, the French government hopes to isolate dangerous criminals, especially drug lords, and limit their ability to control illegal activities from behind bars. The new prison will be built in Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, a town with a long history linked to France's old prison system. It was once the gateway to the infamous Devil's Island penal colony. Now, it's set to house some of the country's most dangerous criminals. By choosing such a remote spot, the government wants to make sure these inmates stay cut off from the outside world, limiting their ability to influence or run criminal networks, French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin told Le Journal du Dimanche (JDD), as quoted by BBC News. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like [Click Here] 2025 Best Luxury Hotel Prices Expertinspector Learn More Undo In recent years, France's prison system has faced growing problems with violence and gang activity inside jails. To tackle this, the government is stepping up efforts to break the grip of organized crime behind bars. The new prison will have space for around 500 inmates. As quoted by the BBC, French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin told Le Journal du Dimanche (JDD) newspaper that, 'This new facility will be a lasting means of removing the heads of the drug trafficking networks.' A major focus of the new prison is its advanced security measures. Mobile phones and other illegal communication devices have been a big problem in French prisons, letting criminals stay in touch with their networks. This facility will use special technology to block these devices, as mentioned in the BBC report. The French government is also working to improve its legal and prosecution systems. New laws have been introduced to give law enforcement more power and create special teams in the prosecution office focused on breaking up organized crime networks. These steps aim to tackle crime both inside prisons and in the wider community. The future of France's prison system According to the report, the facility is expected to open by 2028, and the world will be watching to see if it can effectively disrupt criminal organizations. Though ambitious, the plan shows France's determination to take strong action against crime. Building this high-security prison is just one part of France's bigger plan to improve how it fights organized crime. With tougher laws, better security, and more resources focused on tackling criminal gangs, the government aims to bring order back to its prisons and stop criminals from spreading their influence. However, the success of this plan will depend on how well it can stop these criminal networks from operating. By isolating their leaders and cutting off their contact with the outside world, France hopes to weaken their control over the drug trade and other illegal activities. As this ambitious project moves ahead, the French government is making it clear that it is serious about fighting crime and stopping criminals from acting without consequences. Whether this new prison will solve France's prison problems is still uncertain, but it signals a new phase in the country's fight against organized crime.
Saudi Gazette
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Saudi Gazette
France to open high-security prison in Amazon jungle
PARIS — France will build a new high-security prison in its overseas department of French Guiana to house drug traffickers and radical Islamists, the country's justice minister announced during a visit to the territory. Gérald Darmanin told Le Journal du Dimanche (JDD) newspaper that the prison would target organized crime "at all levels" of the drug supply chain. The €400m (£337m) facility, which could open as early as 2028, will be built in an isolated location deep in the Amazon jungle in the northwestern region of Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni. The plan was announced after a series of violent incidents linked to criminal gangs which saw prisons and staff targeted across France in recent months. The prison will hold up to 500 people, with a separate wing designed to house the most dangerous criminals. In an interview with JDD, the minister said the new prison would be governed by an "extremely strict carceral regime" designed to "incapacitate the most dangerous drug traffickers". Darmanin said the facility would be used to detain people "at the beginning of the drug trail", as well as serving as a "lasting means of removing the heads of the drug trafficking networks" in mainland France. French Guiana is a region of France on the north-east coast of South America. Its residents are eligible to vote in French elections and have access to the French social security system, as well as other subsidies. Its distance from the French mainland means drug lords "will no longer be able to have any contact with their criminal networks", Darmanin told JDD. French authorities have long struggled to control the infiltration of mobile phones into the prison network. Tens of thousands are known to circulate through French jails. Earlier this year, the French government announced new legislation designed to crack down on the activity of criminal gangs. The measures will create a dedicated branch of the prosecutors' office to deal with organised crime. It will also introduce extra powers for investigators, and a special protected status for informers. It will also see the creation of new high-security prisons — including the facility in French Guiana — to hold the most powerful drugs barons, with stricter rules governing visits and communication with the outside world. France has seen a series of attacks on prisons in recent months, which Darmanin has described as "terrorist" incidents that come in response to the government's new legislation. The perpetrators of these attacks have set vehicles outside prisons alight, while Toulon's La Farlede prison was hit by gunfire. In some incidents the perpetrators of these attacks have styled themselves as defenders of prisoners' rights. The proposed new facility in French Guiana is to be built at a "strategic crossroads" for drugs mules, particularly from Brazil and Suriname, according to AFP news agency. Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni is the former port of entry to the infamous Devil's Island penal colony, where 70,000 convicts from mainland France were sent between 1852 and 1954. The penal colony was the setting of French writer Henri Charrière's book Papillon, which was later made into a Hollywood film starring Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman. — BBC
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
France to open high-security prison in Amazon jungle
France will build a new high-security prison in its overseas department of French Guiana to house drug traffickers and radical Islamists, the country's justice minister announced during a visit to the territory. Gérald Darmanin told Le Journal du Dimanche (JDD) newspaper that the prison would target organised crime "at all levels" of the drug supply chain. The €400m (£337m) facility, which could open as early as 2028, will be built in an isolated location deep in the Amazon jungle in the northwestern region of Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni. The plan was announced after a series of violent incidents linked to criminal gangs which saw prisons and staff targeted across France in recent months. The prison will hold up to 500 people, with a separate wing designed to house the most dangerous criminals. In an interview with JDD, the minister said the new prison would be governed by an "extremely strict carceral regime" designed to "incapacitate the most dangerous drug traffickers". Darmanin said the facility would be used to detain people "at the beginning of the drug trail", as well as serving as a "lasting means of removing the heads of the drug trafficking networks" in mainland France. French Guiana is a region of France on the north-east coast of South America. Its residents are eligible to vote in French elections and have access to the French social security system, as well as other subsidies. Its distance from the French mainland means drug lords "will no longer be able to have any contact with their criminal networks", Darmanin told JDD. French authorities have long struggled to control the infiltration of mobile phones into the prison network. Tens of thousands are known to circulate through French jails. Earlier this year, the French government announced new legislation designed to crack down on the activity of criminal gangs. The measures will create a dedicated branch of the prosecutors' office to deal with organised crime. It will also introduce extra powers for investigators, and a special protected status for informers. It will also see the creation of new high-security prisons - including the facility in French Guiana - to hold the most powerful drugs barons, with stricter rules governing visits and communication with the outside world. France has seen a series of attacks on prisons in recent months, which Darmanin has described as "terrorist" incidents that come in response to the government's new legislation. The perpetrators of these attacks have set vehicles outside prisons alight, while Toulon's La Farlede prison was hit by gunfire. In some incidents the perpetrators of these attacks have styled themselves as defenders of prisoners' rights. The proposed new facility in French Guiana is to be built at a "strategic crossroads" for drugs mules, particularly from Brazil and Suriname, according to AFP news agency. Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni is the former port of entry to the infamous Devil's Island penal colony, where 70,000 convicts from mainland France were sent between 1852 and 1954. The penal colony was the setting of French writer Henri Charrière's book Papillon, which was later made into a Hollywood film starring Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman. The BBC has contacted the French justice ministry for comment. French jails have come under attack. Are violent drug gangs to blame?
Straits Times
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
French minister plans supermax prison in South American jungle
France's Minister of Justice Gerald Darmanin (right) and mayor of Montsinéry-Tonnegrande, Mr Patrick Lecante, during the inauguration of a Closed Educational Centre on May 17. PHOTO: AFP PARIS - France is to build a high-security prison in the South American jungle for the most 'dangerous' criminals, including drug kingpins, hardline Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin said in remarks published on May 18 . The facility will open in 2028 in Saint Laurent du Maroni in French Guiana, a French overseas territory situated north of Brazil, Mr Darmanin told the JDD weekly. 'I have decided to establish France's third high-security prison in Guiana,' said Mr Darmanin, who forged his tough-on-drugs reputation in his previous job as interior minister. 'Sixty places, an extremely strict prison regime and one goal – to remove the most dangerous profiles involved in drug trafficking,' he said. Justice ministry officials added that 15 places would be reserved for convicted Islamist radicals. 'My strategy is simple – hit organised crime at all levels,' Mr Darmanin told the weekly during a trip to Guiana. 'Here in Guiana, at the start of the drug trafficking route. In mainland France, by neutralising the network leaders. And all the way to consumers. 'This prison will be a safeguard in the war against narcotrafficking,' he claimed. Crucially, the prison's location 'will serve to permanently isolate the heads of drug trafficking networks' since 'they will no longer be able to contact their criminal networks'. Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni is a strategic hub for so-called mules, mainly from Brazil, who attempt to board flights to Paris's Orly Airport carrying cocaine – in luggage or in their stomachs – originating in neighbouring Suriname. Mr Darmanin had already said in January he wanted to isolate 'the 100 biggest drug traffickers' in a dedicated facility designed to stop them from pursuing their illegal business from their prison cells. Guiana is the most crime-ridden French department relative to the size of its population, with a record 20.6 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants in 2023, nearly 14 times the national average. Saint Laurent was the location of France's notorious Transportation Camp – a brutal penal colony that operated from the mid-19th century to the mid-20th century. The structure remains largely intact. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
