The president, Emmanuel Macron, arrived on Tuesday March 19 in Marseille for a surprise visit concerning the fight against drugs. “In Marseille and other cities in France, it is an unprecedented operation that we have launched to put a stop to drug trafficking, ensure republican order, and clear the air”he wrote on.
The “XXL net space” operation is driving in Marseille “for twenty-four hours”according to the Elysée. “There was a very big operation yesterday, which will last several weeks throughout Marseille”specified the head of state in the city of Castellane, in the north of the city, where he began his trip. “The goal is to try to destroy the networks and the traffickers and for the few who make your life impossible to leave”he detailed during an exchange with residents.
The Head of State joined the Ministers of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, of Justice, Eric Dupond-Moretti, as well as the Secretary of State for the City, Sabrina Agresti-Roubache, who had arrived the day before.
“The idea is to have a situation that is clearly cleaned up and to have a very strong impact in the coming weeks”declared, alongside the Head of State, the new police prefect of Bouches-du-Rhône, Pierre-Edouard Colliex. “My roadmap today is clear: drugs, drugs, more drugs”he announced at the beginning of March when he took office.
49 deaths in 2023
Mr. Macron’s visit comes as several police operations have taken place recently concerning the two main gangs – DZ Mafia and Yoda – who are vying for control of drug trafficking in France’s second city.
Thirteen young suspected members of the DZ Mafia were arrested a week ago in Marseille, Rennes and in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence as part of an investigation into attempted murder in Spain. Ten of them were indicted on Saturday, according to the Marseille prosecutor’s office. These arrests occurred just a few days after the arrest in Morocco of Félix Bingui, 33, alias “the Cat”, the alleged leader of the Yoda clan, rival of the DZ Mafia in Marseille.
The turf war for control of deal points has bloodied Marseille like never before in 2023, with 49 people killed, including four collateral victims.
Marseille magistrates warned at the beginning of March about the power of drug trafficking. “We are losing the war against traffickers in Marseille”worried Isabelle Fort, head of the department which deals with organized crime within the Marseille public prosecutor’s office, before the Senate commission of inquiry into the fight against drug trafficking in France.