Private Investigator in France's Overseas Territories | Aquila Group
Aquila Group in the French Overseas Territories: A Network Active in the Overseas Territories
Are you looking for a private investigator in the French overseas departments and territories? The Aquila Group coordinates the work of licensed private investigators CNAPS in Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana, Réunion, and Mayotte.
As of now, our network does not have any physical offices located in the overseas departments and regions. Depending on the location and urgency of your case, we will assign either a CNAPS-certified colleague already based in the relevant territory or an investigator from our national network, with the same standards of legal compliance as in our mainland offices.
Whether you are facing a sensitive family matter (divorce, child custody, estate planning) or a delicate professional issue (internal fraud, unfair competition, suspicious sick leave), we gather the admissible evidence you need to assert your rights in overseas courts.
Aquila Group in the French Overseas Departments and Territories (Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana, Réunion, Mayotte)
Although the term DOM-TOM was officially replaced in 2003 by the term DROM-COM (overseas departments and regions / overseas collectivities), it remains the most frequently searched term: we therefore use it primarily to refer to the five overseas departments and regions: Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana, Réunion, and Mayotte.
Each territory has its own judicial court, with jurisdiction identical to that of metropolitan France: Pointe-à-Pitre for Guadeloupe, Fort-de-France for Martinique, Cayenne for French Guiana, Saint-Denis for Réunion, and Mamoudzou for Mayotte. Commercial disputes there are heard by the mixed commercial court, presided over by a professional judge, unlike the commercial court in mainland France, which is composed solely of elected judges.
The overseas collectivities (Saint Martin, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, French Polynesia, New Caledonia) have distinct legal statuses and are handled on a case-by-case basis, depending on the local regulations applicable to the detective profession.
How do we operate in the French overseas departments and territories?
Given the geographical distance, our primary approach is to engage a CNAPS-certified subcontracted investigator who is already based in the relevant territory (Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana, Réunion, or Mayotte). This approach ensures in-depth knowledge of the local area and shorter response times.
For cases requiring the expertise of our headquarters or involving an international dimension (cross-border cases, for example between French Guiana and its neighboring countries, or between Mayotte and the Comoros archipelago), we draw on our national network and our membership in the Council of International Investigators (CII). In all cases, the individual CNAPS accreditation of the investigator assigned to the relevant French territory is systematically verified, as this is an essential requirement for the report to be admissible in a French court.
Families in the overseas territories often face personal situations complicated by their distance from mainland France, which require the assistance of a private investigator to uncover the truth with solid evidence.
Divorce and Infidelity Overseas
Do you suspect your spouse of infidelity in Guadeloupe, Martinique, Réunion, or another overseas territory? Our investigators conduct discreet surveillance and gather evidence of adultery that can be used in court before the Family Court judge at the appropriate judicial court (Pointe-à-Pitre, Fort-de-France, Cayenne, Saint-Denis, or Mamoudzou).
This evidence can significantly strengthen your divorce case: spousal support, division of property, and child custody. Our reports can be used directly by your attorney.
Child Custody and Parental Authority
Many families in the overseas territories are separated, with one parent remaining in the territory and the other living in mainland France or another overseas department. We document your children’s actual living conditions: adherence to custody schedules, schooling, family environment, and the actual presence of the custodial parent—which is essential in these long-distance custody cases.
We also verify that child support payments are actually being made and can locate a parent who has failed to meet their obligations, even if they have moved to mainland France.
Searching for People in Mainland France and Overseas Territories
Locating someone who has left the mainland to settle in an overseas department—or vice versa—requires coordination between our mainland network and our local colleagues. Whether you are searching for a missing loved one, a debtor, or an heir in connection with an estate, we draw on databases and professional networks in both areas.
Transoceanic Inheritances
A property located in Guadeloupe, Martinique, or Réunion, with heirs scattered between the island and mainland France: these estate matters require verifying the actual occupancy of the property, the existence of undeclared heirs, or any potential misappropriation of the inheritance—often from a distance.
The overseas economy, which is centered on tourism, construction, agriculture, and public services, presents specific investigative challenges to which our investigators provide tailored solutions.
Abuse of sick leave in overseas territories
Is an employee on sick leave engaging in activities incompatible with their reported health condition? Our discreet surveillance operations allow us to gather video and photographic evidence that can be used in labor court proceedings in the relevant jurisdiction.
Our investigative reports provide a legal basis for your HR decisions and can serve as grounds for disciplinary action or termination for serious misconduct.
Internal Fraud and Theft in the Workplace
Overseas companies, regardless of their industry, are not immune to internal misconduct: embezzlement, theft of goods, fraudulent use of company resources, falsification of expense reports, and breach of trust. We identify the perpetrators of these frauds and gather the evidence needed to initiate legal proceedings or disciplinary action.
Our absolute discretion ensures that the investigation will not disrupt your teams’ operations.
Unfair Competition and Economic Espionage
Poaching of employees, unlawful use of customer databases, unfair competition, and breach of non-compete clauses: we investigate these unfair practices and compile the necessary evidence to file a case with the appropriate mixed commercial court.
Protecting your know-how, strategic data, and competitive advantages requires constant vigilance, particularly in island economies where stakeholders often operate within a small circle.
Remote Verification of Applications
Before hiring remotely for an overseas location, ensure your decision is sound by verifying the authenticity of the candidate’s degrees, work experience, and references, and confirming that there are no prior legal disputes—a precaution that is all the more important given that the distance makes standard verification processes more difficult.
Services for Legal Professionals in Overseas Territories
Lawyers, court officers, and legal professionals working in France’s overseas departments and territories regularly turn to us to strengthen their litigation cases.
We work with legal professionals practicing overseas to:
Seeking additional evidence prior to a hearing before the court with jurisdiction over the relevant territory
Locating debtors to facilitate the enforcement of court orders and enable service of process by a bailiff
Credit checks to assess a party’s actual financial capacity before initiating legal proceedings
Counter-investigations to verify or challenge evidence presented by the opposing party
Factual findings admissible in civil, commercial, or labor proceedings
Our investigative reports are structured so that they can be used directly by legal counsel and presented in overseas courts.
Our Operations in the French Overseas Departments and Territories
Our investigators and local partners operate throughout all departments and overseas regions.
Guadeloupe: Basse-Terre, Pointe-à-Pitre, Le Gosier, Sainte-Anne
Martinique: Fort-de-France, Le Lamentin, Le Robert
French Guiana: Cayenne, Kourou, Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni
Overseas territories (Saint Martin, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, French Polynesia, New Caledonia): Please contact us; local laws and regulations must be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
Why Choose the Aquila Group in the French Overseas Departments and Territories?
Local CNAPS-certified colleagues
Every investigator working in an overseas territory holds a mandatory CNAPS professional license, which is a prerequisite for the admissibility of our reports in local courts.
Full Legal Compliance
We strictly adhere to the French legal framework (Code of Internal Security, GDPR, Penal Code), ensuring that our evidence is admissible in overseas courts.
Metropolitan/Overseas Coordination
Our mission monitoring processes (progress points, digital reports, video conferencing) are designed for both clients in mainland France and overseas territories, and ensure the continuity of a case that extends beyond a single territory.
Availability tailored to overseas time zones
We schedule communications and interventions taking into account the time difference specific to each territory (the Antilles, French Guiana, and the Indian Ocean).
National and International Network
The Aquila Group has a network of offices throughout mainland France (Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, Brittany, Pays de la Loire, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes) and international partners through the Council of International Investigators (CII), which is helpful for overseas cases with a cross-border dimension.
Private Investigator Rates in Overseas Territories
Our fees vary significantly depending on the region in question (local availability of an investigator, potential travel from mainland France).
Service Area: Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana, Réunion, Mayotte, and other overseas territories by appointment.
We can arrange an in-person meeting depending on the availability of our local colleagues, or a videoconference consultation.
The first consultation is free and confidential.
Frequently Asked Questions – Private Detective / Investigator in the French Overseas Departments and Territories
No, we do not currently have any physical offices in the overseas departments and regions. Depending on your case, we will assign a CNAPS-certified colleague who is already based in the relevant territory, or an investigator from our national network, with the same standards of legal compliance as in our offices in mainland France.
Yes, absolutely, provided that the investigation is conducted by a CNAPS-certified investigator in accordance with the legal framework (Internal Security Code, GDPR, Penal Code). Our reports are admissible in the competent court, regardless of jurisdiction.
Yes, in Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana, Réunion, and Mayotte, through the involvement of local CNAPS-certified colleagues or, if necessary, by dispatching an investigator from our national network.
It depends on whether an investigator is available on-site at the time of your request. Travel from mainland France may add several days to the turnaround time, which we will let you know during our initial contact.
The rate depends heavily on the specific region and the local availability of an investigator. Visit our rates page or request a free, personalized quote.
