Andorran Police Extradite French Drug Trafficking Couple to France After Border Handover

Andorran police handed over a French couple to French authorities at the Franco-Andorran border on Wednesday morning, following approval from the Tribunal de Corts. The 32-year-old man and 28-year-old woman, wanted for leading a large-scale drug trafficking and money laundering network, had been arrested in late January in El Tarter while on holiday in Andorra.

An Interpol alert had recently circulated, as French investigators suspected the pair might be in Spain, Andorra, or Morocco. Andorran officers located them, notified the Ministry of Justice and Interior, and obtained a detention order from the Public Prosecutor's Office. The courts then ordered their pre-trial detention at the Centre Penitenciari de la Comella pending extradition proceedings.

The man, deemed dangerous and of French nationality with African origins, faces charges of masterminding cocaine and cannabis distribution in France's Landes and Pyrénées-Atlantiques departments from January 2023 to November 2025. He is also accused of coordinating cocaine shipments from the Paris area to southwest France. The woman, reportedly Moroccan, is suspected of involvement in the trafficking and laundering proceeds from it. At the time of arrest, they were traveling in a luxury SUV loaded with possessions, which police impounded and searched; they were with a young child, who was temporarily placed in state care at La Gavernera.

During over a month in custody, the man proved highly disruptive. He exhibited arrogant and aggressive conduct, necessitating special monitoring and frequent staff rotations. A detailed prison search uncovered drugs, cash, high-end mobile phones, and other contraband hidden in double compartments of his belongings. He allegedly tried to bribe guards with substantial sums first to dispose of the drugs, then to smuggle in a phone. Some staff reported the attempts immediately, alerting judicial authorities. He also made payments to fellow inmates to build influence.

Justice Minister Ester Molné and prison officials managed the situation discreetly to avoid escalation. To speed up his transfer—which he did not oppose—the man accepted a swift penalty via fast-track procedure: a one-year prison term (replaced by expulsion) and a fine for the bribery attempts.

Police escorted the couple to the border for handover to the Gendarmerie nationale. The extradition ends Andorra's involvement, though other network members have already appeared in French courts.