The drug lords are in Dubai, but the “minors” who manage the smuggling are based in Europe, especially Marseille. The town in the south of France is considered one of the capitals of drug trafficking based on the increasing figure (number of deaths). According to the information announced by the Transalpine police, a record number of victims were reached in 2023. 47 people were left on the ground and 118 people were injured. While the sun was shining over the city of Calanches, drugs plunged Marseille into darkness this year. According to inspectors, there are more than a hundred outlets in the city and their areas are increasingly becoming bloody. Speaking about “this very strong increase in drug homicides” at a press conference on December 21, prosecutor Nicolas Bessone said, “it is a level that has never been reached historically.” Their numbers have more than doubled in three years. There were “only” 20 deaths in 2020.
narcoterrorism
The Marseille prosecutor’s office identified four categories of crime: drug traffickers affiliated with a criminal group, young scouts and dealers in drug-trafficking squares. The latter are the most frequently targeted. According to investigators in Marseille, the prevailing logic is that of real “narcoterrorism”. Leaders are trying to take over the drug trafficking network that exists in a particular area, without taking into account the alleged victims. The role of very young people, who are both victims and perpetrators of murders, is particularly worrying. There are 7 children among the dead and 18 people among the injured. There were 3 women among those who lost their lives in 2023. As for the perpetrators, 6 of the 56 people charged with organized gang murder or attempted murder were minors, and 51 percent were between the ages of 18 and 21.
Drug dealers were recruited on social networks
As the newspaper said Le MondeThe world of drug trafficking has also gone digital. More and more small-time drug dealers are being recruited via social networks by traffickers in Marseille, allowing younger generations to dream of easy money. Young people pay the highest price after joining the network. As happened to a sixteen-year-old boy from the Savoy region. Just four hours after arriving in Marseille, he was picked up from Saint-Charles station by a drug network “taxi”. In the morning he greeted his mother and said to her: “See you this evening!”. Instead, he was killed the same day: November 13. Among the methods considered by the Marseille prosecutor’s office to stop this incident is to launch a message campaign on social networks to deter drug traffickers from traveling to Marseille. The idea is to make them aware of the risks they face, but the mirage of easy profits remains a powerful attraction.
‘Pink quota’ in drug trade
The share of women in the world of transalpine drug trafficking is also increasing. A novelty in the panorama of the Marseille drug trade. The four women were charged with conspiracy to commit a crime. In various situations, they stand in for a fugitive or imprisoned comrade. “Previously, women acted as suppliers of money, drugs and weapons. Today, we see that they take a more active role in managing deal points, organizing and supporting murders,” the prosecutor’s office said. said. In this context, the police and the judiciary are intensifying their work. Among the fruits of the investigations was the red-handed arrest of five crews of killers who were caught immediately after “planning” a murder. The city prosecutor also stated that 35 war weapons, a homemade bomb and three hand grenades were seized, as well as 800 thousand euros.
A judge in the United Arab Emirates
Money. Everything revolves around drug turnover. Between 50 thousand and 80 thousand euros in the five main stores in Marseille. per day. Control of drug dealing squares in about fifteen cities is at the center of the war between two criminal gangs: DZ Mafia and Yoda, to which the prosecutor’s office attributes 73% of murders and attacks. Somewhat similar to the mafia, which, as director Pif said, “kills only in the summer months”, the peak of murders occurred in August: eighteen murders in one month. French investigators seek to get to the top of the chain of violence by investigating clues even beyond the borders of the Hexagon. Prosecutor Bessone’s goal is to create a special position as a liaison judge in Dubai. Drug trafficking bosses live in the capital of the United Arab Emirates. Another golden haven is Saint Lucia in the Caribbean, which is the transit point for cocaine to Europe. The French judiciary hopes for improved international cooperation to uncover the puppet masters of the wars for control of drug trafficking centres. But even at home, there is still a lot of work to be done, especially in prisons. Much of the management of drug trafficking and murder planning takes place from prison, thanks to the sending of encrypted messages to phones. Judges aim to cooperate more with prison management to prevent detention from becoming a further operational crime centre.
Source: Today IT
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
