The 80,000 euro enigma: a debt for a Moroccan kingpin at the heart of the trial in France

The story begins on October 4, 2018 in Frankfurt, Germany. Men burst into Zayn’s (a pseudonym) home and beat him in front of his two sons before kidnapping him, reports France 3. They demand a Mercedes and a debt of nearly 80,000 euros. The assailants, who speak French, take Zayn away in a car and drive all night.

The next day, the case takes a turn in Reims. Zayn is found by the police in a hotel room, his face swollen and a finger injured. His captors have abandoned him there, leaving him a hundred euros to return to Germany.

Debt against a backdrop of trafficking or unpaid commissions?

The victim first told the investigators that he had lost consciousness and did not know his attackers. He then identified the driver as an acquaintance of his brother. The name of Saïd R., a man driven by a "desire for revenge", is quickly mentioned. Zayn would have learned from his brother that this kidnapping was aimed at repaying the debt of a drug baron established in Morocco.

The suspects were arrested over the months. Saïd R., presenting himself to the police, denied any involvement in the kidnapping. He acknowledged a dispute with Zayn, but of a commercial nature: he accuses him of not having paid him commissions on vehicle sales, for an amount equivalent to the famous 800,000 dirham debt.

The seven defendants, who remain under judicial supervision, deny the kidnapping and claim that Zayn followed them of his own free will. The case remains shrouded in gray areas, especially since the victim, Zayn, has disappeared. He did not show up for the confrontation organized by the investigating judge, and his own lawyer claims to have no more news of him, leaving the justice system with a case without a plaintiff.