At customs trial, “uncle z” sows zizania

Six customs executives have been tried since May 9 by the Paris Criminal Court following the revelations of this former parachutist of the 57 -year -old Serbian army, “Indic” star.

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He is sitting there, essential, in the center of the courtroom. His big arms crossed on his wrestling chest, Zoran Petrovic has listened to the stories of the six customs of the customs of the customs tried with him for May 9, and for a month, in front of the 11 e Paris Criminal Court Chamber. They never pronounce his name. They never look in his direction. This former 57 -year -old Serbian army parachutist, “Indic” star of customs, is simply “the source”. He is like a big bulky cat, like the Mistigri of the card game: the one who must be rid of his game, under penalty of losing the game.

Unavoidable, Mr. Petrovic is in the judicial file which leads these former officials of the National Directorate of Intelligence and Customs Investigations (DNRED) to explain their professional practices. It is thanks to him, the so prolific avant that customs carried out 32 cases, between 2011 and 2015 (counterfeits, tobacco, drugs), against a remuneration of nearly 400,000 euros.

Starting point for investigations, in 2015, a seizure of 43 tonnes of counterfeit coffee puts justice on the trace of dysfunctions in the management of “cottters”. “A matter mounted from scratch,” according to investigators, where Petrovic’s troubled role, ensuring the transport and storage of the goods, reflects on the agents responsible for his case, to the top of the hierarchy. Profiles gathered in the courtroom around accusations of “corruption”, “swindle”, “embezzlement of public funds” or “import into an organized gang of counterfeit goods”.

Unreliable, even dangerous

Justice suspects that these operations were carried out, without control, in order to provide media repercussions to these seizures and to “make figures”. In exchange, the eyes would have been closed on the other affairs of this “uncle” so well introduced to Balkan and Chinese criminal circles. A favorite avoost, of course, but also considered unreliable, even dangerous, officially blacklisted since 2009.

The geography of this file applies to the geometry of the courtroom. To the left of “La Source”, the Dnred hierarchy, chic costumes and attached-case, follows the debates with weighting, quoting during the breaks, taking applied notes. To the right of the “uncle”, lonely on their benches, two men struggle to contain their tension. Vincent Sauvalère, former director of the Directorate of Customs Operations (DOD, the armed wing of the DNRED), and Pascal Schmidt, chief of the Havre antenna (Seine-Maritime) of this service. They were responsible for the management and protection of the Serbian.

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