So too is straddling the cultural differences between his home country of France and the various West African countries in his jurisdiction. The administrative tasks are what he loves least. Raised in a family of immigrants, Peduzzi grew up knowing that life abroad could be an enriching experience. Now, having lived for over a decade in Africa, he says there is nowhere else he would rather be. Armed with degrees in both law and politics and security management, Peduzzi worked as a police constable in crowd control in Strasbourg in the early s, then shifted his focus to combating financial crimes, including money laundering and terrorism financing, before moving to Africa.
His move to Africa could not have been better timed: just as he took up his first position in post in Mali in , the region was evolving into a transit hub for drug traffickers bound from South America to Europe. Peduzzi is due back in Paris for a two-year stint before he returns to Africa, or maybe heads for South America. Meanwhile, he is making the most of his time left in Dakar. For relaxation, he loves going on trips through the desert, practicing taekwondo, and dancing the salsa with his wife, Corinne, who has been his partner since grammar school, and with whom he has two children.
Here he discusses the ongoing challenges of combating organized crime in the West African region. For years now West Africa has existed as a key hub for international drug traffickers. How did this happen and to what extent is this still the case? When the US seized huge amounts of cocaine bound from South America to North America, the cartels looked to expand their business to Europe, but there were many seizures there too.
The trip via Africa is longer but the police forces in the region are weak, as are the intelligence and investigative units, so the risk of arrest is much smaller.
One of my missions is to do my best to increase this risk. Also, there is less control of the flights arriving from Africa to Europe than from South America, as the routes are less direct.
