According to figures obtained by franceinfo, twelve people have been killed in narchomicides since the beginning of the year in Marseille, while 39 people were killed during the same period in 2023.
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Narcohomicides, i.e. homicides linked to drug trafficking, have been divided by three since the beginning of 2024 in Marseille (Bouches-du-Rhône), franceinfo learned on Saturday, September 14 from the public prosecutor of Marseille, Nicolas Bessone.
According to figures obtained by franceinfo, twelve people have been killed in narchomicides since the beginning of 2024 in Marseille, while 39 people were killed during the same period in 2023. In total, 37 homicides and attempted homicides have been recorded since the beginning of 2024, compared to 75 in 2023 in mid-September, a decrease of almost 50%.
This decline is primarily due to the strong dominance of a single criminal organization in the Phocaean city. If in 2023, two rival gangs, the DZ Mafia and Yoda, were engaged in a merciless war, the DZ Mafia now dominates the very lucrative drug trafficking market in Marseille. A senior officer of the judicial police explained to franceinfo that a sort of “non-aggression” pact was concluded between the DZ Mafia and the other small Marseille trafficking networks.
The long-term work of the judicial police has also paid off, with the dismantling of many teams of young hitmen. For example, the Marseille public prosecutor told us in June that over the whole of 2023, 189 people had been indicted for facts related to settling scores against a backdrop of drug trafficking.
However, the authorities do not want to claim victory too quickly, as new conflicts could break out at any time, and while, according to an investigator contacted by franceinfo, the very powerful and dangerous DZ Mafia continues to extend its influence well beyond Marseille and now controls drug dealing points in Nîmes, Sète, Avignon, Valence and even Toulouse.
A rally against drug trafficking is taking place Saturday afternoon in Marseille. This march of families “for peace and justice in the neighborhoods” will leave at 3 p.m. from Place de la Joliette.