Diksha Sundriyal
In Netflix’s ‘Cocaine Air: Smugglers at 30,000 Ft.,’ the arrest of four French nationals in the Dominican Republic causes a stir when they are found with 26 bags of around 700kg of cocaine. Over the course of three episodes, we learn the nitty-gritty of the entire case, and while the situation surrounding the drugs is a major focus of the investigation, the docuseries also looks at the daring escape of two pilots. This is where we meet Christophe Naudin, without whom, the story might have looked very different for two of the accused.
Christophe Naudin Paid the Price for Helping the Air Cocaine Pilots
A native of Libourne, France, Christophe Naudin made a name for himself as an aviation security expert in professional circles. However, he jumped into the media limelight after he was connected to the case of Bruno Odos and Pascal Fauret, the pilots who were arrested in 2013 at the Punta Cana airport in the Dominican Republic. The duo was sentenced to twenty years in prison, but during their pretrial detainment, they got a glimpse of life inside the prison, and they had no intention of going back to it. They wanted to go back to France, where they had better chances of finding justice and maybe even freedom, but the conditions of their bail didn’t legally allow them to leave the Dominican Republic. This is when Christophe Naudin entered the picture.
In 2015, Christophe concocted an elaborate plan to get the duo out of the country and brought together a team that would ensure the success of the task. The journey via the sea was split into two halves, and apart from some minor hitches, there were no troubles along the way. Christophe’s plan succeeded, and Odos and Fauret were back in France, where they went through a different trial. Meanwhile, the Dominican Republic authorities found out about Christophe’s involvement in the escape, and they issued an arrest warrant for him.
France does not have an extradition agreement with the Dominican Republic, so Christophe was safe as long as he was within the borders of his motherland. But then, in 2016, he took a trip to Egypt, where he was arrested and flown to the Dominican Republic to answer for his actions. For the first few months, he was placed in the Najayo Correctional Center in San Cristóbal as part of his pretrial detention. Later, the court found him guilty and sentenced him to five years in prison with a fine of $33,000. However, by this time, his health had deteriorated significantly, which led to a new development in his case.
Christophe Naudin is Fighting for Justice For Others Today
Now in his 60s, Christophe Naudin lives in Paris, France, with his wife, Michele. Due to his health concerns during the detention period in the Dominican Republic prison, he was transferred to France in 2018. For the first three months, he was placed in a prison in Villepinte, near Paris. Later, however, he received a conditional release due to his worsening medical issues and is now a free man. Over time and with the care of his family and friends, his health has bounced back, and he has jumped back into work. Currently, he serves as the director of the Visiom Aviation group. He is also the president of (IN)JUSTICE, an organisation that helps French nationals who have been unjustly detained abroad.
Over the years, he has worked with several people and helped them find a way to justice. One of the people he worked with was the son of Philippe Tabary, who was detained in Serbia in December 2023 for carrying a weapon. Christophe has also turned towards the art of storytelling to relate his experience with Bruno Odos and Pascal Fauret’s escape and his own imprisonment in the Dominican Republic in a book, titled ‘Air Cocaïne, les dessous d’une mystification’ and ‘Journal d’une détention arbitraire dans l’affaire Air Cocaïne.’ He has also been very vocal in the media, especially in helping other people’s causes. His professional endeavors take up much of his time, but he also dedicates time to himself and his family, though he prefers to keep that part of his life away from the public limelight.
Read More: Pierre Malinowski: Where is the Former French Soldier Now?
