In April 2025, gendarmes from the Ardèche region uncovered a drug trafficking operation that was supplying narcotics to consumers in the area. The network used encrypted messaging apps like Telegram and Signal to place orders. Following a thorough investigation, military police targeted several suspects in the nearby Tournon-sur-Rhône area. Multiple individuals were arrested in April 2025 and placed under formal investigation soon after. The investigation is ongoing, and those accused have been requesting judicial control one after another. This includes a man in his thirties, who is now appearing before the Court of Appeal in Nîmes. The man is described as the individual responsible for procuring large quantities of drugs in Saint-Etienne and transporting them back to the Ardèche. During raids, authorities found 2,000 euros in cash, several kilograms of cannabis, and 2 kilograms of cocaine. In addition, twenty-six weapons and ammunition were discovered in a storage box. Gendarmes also seized three vehicles on a provisional basis. The man, who is requesting judicial control this week, admitted to receiving 50 euros per day for delivering the drugs. His lawyer argues that his client is the last person in provisional detention in this case and is not the most significant figure in the trafficking operation. The lawyer claims the head of the network is likely in China. Despite these claims, the prosecutor general has refused to consider a release. The case remains under active review by the Court of Appeal in Nîmes, which will issue its decision in the coming days. The ongoing legal proceedings highlight the complexity of cross-regional drug trafficking and the challenges faced by law enforcement in such cases.