Paris Police Arrest Ameur Mansouri, One of France’s Most Wanted Drug Traffickers

Ameur Mansouri, a highly sought-after French drug trafficker, was arrested on October 3, 2023, in the 15th arrondissement of Paris after over a decade on the run. According to Le Figaro, Mansouri had been a fugitive since 2012 and was included on France’s list of top ten most wanted drug traffickers. He was sentenced in December 2023 to 15 years in prison for drug trafficking, organized fraud, and related offenses, alongside a fine of one million euros and asset confiscations.

Mansouri, born in Paris in August 1976, orchestrated an extensive drug operation from Morocco, directing his network for more than ten years while making intermittent trips back to France. His criminal record includes a 2017 conviction for importing 569 kilograms of cannabis into Paris suburbs, and involvement in the diversion of a helicopter to import 740 kilograms of cannabis from Morocco to Spain. Moreover, in 2019, 322.62 kilograms of cannabis tied to Mansouri were seized in Vincennes.

French law enforcement authorities executed his arrest with strategic precision. The Brigade de recherche et d’intervention (BRI) orchestrated a traffic jam near the Pasteur metro station to successfully capture the fugitive without incident. This operation marks a significant victory in combating organized drug trafficking within the capital and beyond.

Mansouri’s arrest closes a long-standing chapter in France’s crackdown on narcotics and organized crime, illustrating the persistence and coordination of French police in apprehending figures who evade justice for years by operating transnational drug networks.