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Disny D Joseph and Antony Shaji from Kerala remain jailed in France after 147kg cocaine was found in their truck.
Disny D Joseph and Antony Shaji (Image Credit: X)_
Two men from Kerala’s Ernakulam district have been in a French prison for more than a year after police seized 147kg of cocaine from their truck while their families insist that the case is a miscarriage of justice. Disny D Joseph, 42, and Antony Shaji, both natives of Kumbalangi, were arrested on June 14, 2024 near Frejus in southern France after officers stopped their vehicle and discovered the drugs concealed inside boxes of dates. The truck, registered to a Slovakian logistics firm, had been loaded and sealed by company staff before departure.
According to relatives, the drivers were unaware of what was hidden in the cargo. Disny D Joseph’s wife Lincy said, “It was Antony Shaji’s first day and first trip with the new company when they were arrested. The police acted as if they had a tip-off. The men explained they weren’t allowed to open the cargo. But the police broke it open and found the drugs.”
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The men’s employer, Moroccan national Rachid Benali, reportedly went into hiding shortly after the arrests. Their families said that Disny D Joseph and Antony Shaji were abandoned by the company and left to face prosecution on their own.
‘They Are Suffering In Jail’
The prolonged detention has taken a heavy toll. Disny D Joseph is receiving psychiatric treatment for stress while Antony Shaji, who suffers from asthma, was recently hospitalised.
“He says he can’t sleep and is taking a lot of sleeping pills,” Lincy said, adding, “He went abroad so we could finally build our own house. Now, we have lost everything.”
Disny D Joseph’s mother, Susan, said, “Being in jail for a crime he didn’t commit is affecting him mentally. He misses his family and freedom. We are trying everything possible to bring him back, but nothing has worked so far.”
Appeal For Government Help
Local MP Hibi Eden said he has been in regular touch with the Indian embassy in France and the Ministry of External Affairs. He said, “We have been following up constantly, but the case is complicated due to the quantity of drugs seized.” Both families are now appealing for urgent diplomatic intervention to secure the men’s release, insisting they are innocent victims of a smuggling network operating through European cargo routes.
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