Drug War Escalates: Marseille Gang Infiltrates Cévennes, Forcing Local Dealer to Flee

The Cévennes neighborhood is plagued by drug trafficking. "The power struggle has intensified in recent weeks with the alleged presence of the DZ mafia, as indicated on the murals of the neighborhood," says Midi Libre. At the announcement of the celebration of an undeclared party organized on Saturday, July 5th by two well-known rappers Naps and Dika as part of the filming of a music video, police, gendarmes, magistrates and elected officials fear the presence of this Marseille network.

On the sidelines of this celebration, several activities: blocking access to the neighborhood with dozens of shopping carts recovered from the neighboring supermarket, motorcycle rodeo, setting off fireworks worthy of July 14th on the central roundabout of the neighborhood at nightfall to commemorate the independence of Algeria. Aboard large German sedans decorated with Algerian flags, the two rappers animated the neighborhood.

"We can consider this kind of party as ’soft power’," says an anonymous police officer. "Messages are being sent to the residents, and to the competition." Confirmed by a police intelligence specialist: "There is a change in the neighborhood. A drug trafficking leader has hastily gone to Morocco to lay low." A magistrate adds: "Nature abhors a vacuum, and we know that one network replaces another."

The local police arrested a minor on the evening of Saturday, July 5th. He will be brought before the court in Aix-en-Provence. They also seized 500 g of resin, 50 g of cocaine, 200 g of marijuana and more than €600. On Thursday, July 3rd, they arrested two 18 and 19-year-old drug and money couriers. Tried before the Alès court, the two defendants were sentenced on Monday, July 7th to five and six months in prison with a committal order. They were also banned from appearing in Alès.

These three individuals all come from the Bouches-du-Rhône like the rappers.