Overview
- The interior minister says the November 13 killing of Mehdi Kessaci, brother of anti-drug activist Amine Kessaci, likely served as an act of intimidation tied to activism.
- Local advocates describe a climate of fear, with some pausing public engagement and residents in the 15th arrondissement considering leaving due to rising threats.
- Police intelligence and reporters detail the DZ Mafia’s 2022 formation as a cartel-like alliance in conflict with the Yoda group, with 49 killings in 2023 and social-media recruitment now routine.
- Reporters say Marseille-based teams are dispatched to seize drug-selling points in other cities through violent takeovers, citing cases in Nîmes, Sète, Clermont-Ferrand, Rennes, Dijon, Arles and Nice.
- Overseas territories on trafficking routes report heavy flows, including 30 tons seized this year in Martinique and 34 narcotrafic-linked deaths, while local officials say promised state reinforcements remain insufficient.