...the twenty first century equivalent of bubonic plague, only instead of killing off a third of the population of Europe it kills 3.4 percent of those who notice they have it. It seems to be fond of the elderly, especially Iranian politicians and holy men...The violence took place in the Gambetta district at around 3:30 pm on Wednesday. Despite the presence of machetes and other weapons, many of which were left at the scene, no injuries were reported.
Police arrested three individuals in connection to the brawl and police say they are hunting for other suspects who fled the area using the city’s public transport system, Midi Libre reports.
Investigators say the violence erupted
like lava from a volcano out of a gang rivalry revolving around the local sale of contraband cigarettes and hashish and that fights between members of both groups have occurred during the last three evenings in a row.La Belle France’s nation-wide lockdown measures, which President Emmanuel Macron announced in mid-March, have greatly hindered the ability for criminal gangs to sell drugs and other items on the street.
According to a report from news agency Rooters, the lockdown has led to a spike in prices for street cannabis across La Belle France.
Yann Bastiere, a senior police union official, said that prices of some drugs have nearly doubled in some areas, saying: "The price of a 100-gram bar of resin went from 280 euros to 500 euros in a week in Marseille."
Thierry Colombie, an expert in organised crime, blamed the increase in prices on the lack of fresh supplies of drugs coming from countries like Morocco due to the Wuhan coronavirus lockdown measures.
The European Union
...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing...
police agency Europol has warned that some organised criminals may be adapting to the new lockdown measures and shifting focus to other areas such as fraud and selling counterfeit medical items to take advantage of the outbreak.
Berlin’s drug dealers adapt to life under coronavirus lockdown
[FinancialTimes] Vendors face a shifting landscape as supply routes close and users’ habits change.
Around the world, it is not just legal businesses that are being transformed by the coronavirus (aka COVID19 or Chinese Plague)
...the twenty first century equivalent of bubonic plague, only instead of killing off a third of the population of Europe it kills 3.4 percent of those who notice they have it. It seems to be fond of the elderly, especially Iranian politicians and holy men...pandemic. From "corona specials" to personalised delivery services, drug pushers are hustling to keep business flowing, suppliers are scrambling to find new routes as transport closes down and promoters are flouting the ban on groups by holding underground raves.
In Berlin, a city famed for its hedonistic nightlife and techno clubs like Berghain, dealers such as Dave are adapting to serve the large number of clubbers who find themselves stuck at home with little to do but get high. Social distancing and restrictions on movement have also spurred stockpiling, with the price of some drugs rising sharply.
"People are panicking, and not just about toilet paper," said Lucy, who deals cannabis to her private customer base. "Right now I’m selling 500 grammes a day ‐ before I would normally sell about 100 grammes." Like all the dealers quoted in this article, she asked to be identified by her street name.
Dealers see trouble ahead, however. Lucy’s supply chain through Spain, badly hit by the pandemic, has been completely shut down.
Illicit trade experts say it is inevitable that the black market would take a temporary hit. But narcos have an advantage on legitimate businesses: "They are used to seeing distortions in supply chains caused by law enforcement, for example, or perhaps a particular airport detecting goods and cargo, and having to adapt," said Jason Eligh, a senior expert at the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime.
As restrictions on air travel are tightened, dealers say they are eyeing more routes by land and sea, hiding their product amid legally traded goods. One dealer of Lebanese hashish said he expected his partners would try to smuggle the resin in among medical supplies. "They will find a way ‐ they always do," he said.
In Berlin’s Görlitzer Park, home to a notorious drug market, trade in illegal substances continues despite the lockdown. During a recent visit by the Financial Times, police could be seen searching vans on one side of the park, while at the other end, crowds of dealers ‐ many wearing face masks and gloves ‐ hawked their wares as usual.
While some are neglected, others are going off grid on purpose. For Berliners in the know, an underground scene continues to rage, replete with full bars, lighting and DJ sets. The raves are held in warehouses and remote apartments, dealers say, with the events co-ordinated via secret chat groups that alert people of the time and place the night before. Pre-paid tickets can cost up to €100 each and special lookouts are hired to watch out for police.