France is not deploying its army to tackle smuggling at the Andorra border, ambassador clarifies
Nicolas Eybalin tells La Veu Lliure that a gendarmerie unit has been stationed in L’Hospitalet for two years
France’s ambassador to Andorra, Nicolas Eybalin, has confirmed to La Veu Lliure the information about efforts to combat smuggling at the France–Andorra border, following the visit of the prefect of Pyrénées-Orientales, Pierre Regnault de La Mothe, to Porta. However, the diplomat sought to clarify the nature of the gendarmes’ duties in the area.
“This should not be taken to mean that France is mobilising its army to combat smuggling,” Eybalin told this newspaper.
The ambassador explained that although French gendarmes have military status, their operational duties fall under the Ministry of the Interior and involve policing.
Gendarmerie unit stationed in L’Hospitalet for two years
Eybalin said that a gendarmerie unit has been stationed in L’Hospitalet for the past two years, helping to tackle tobacco smuggling alongside customs services and police forces.
His clarification places the gendarmes’ presence within the framework of cooperation between the services responsible for security and border controls. The unit therefore does not represent a new deployment linked to the prefect’s visit.
The information confirmed by the ambassador concerned the French government representative’s visit to Porta to discuss illicit trafficking and irregular immigration with customs officers and gendarmes. Tobacco and alcohol smuggling, alongside the evolving methods used by smugglers, were among the issues discussed.
