The city of Marseille, France, is experiencing an increase in drug-related violence, which is increasingly affecting minors. The Ministry of Justice estimates a four-fold rise in teenage involvement in the drug trade over the past eight years.
Recent Incidents and Trends
A 15-year-old, identified as Adel, was found deceased with a gunshot wound to the head, and his body subsequently set on fire. This incident is consistent with a pattern of violence observed in the city's drug conflicts.
A local gang member, known as "The Immortal," stated that the dynamics of the drug trade have shifted, with reduced adherence to established practices and an increased recruitment of young individuals. He reported sustaining multiple bullet wounds from a rival gang attack.
Societal Impact and Official Observations
Law enforcement, legal professionals, political figures, and community organizers in Marseille report a prevalent sense of apprehension within certain sectors of the city. A lawyer, who requested anonymity due to safety concerns, indicated a perceived dominance of drug traffickers and a shift in the local legal environment.
Mohamed Benmeddour, a community organizer, noted that individuals as young as 13 or 14 are being engaged as lookouts and dealers. He observed a desensitization to violence among younger participants, who are frequently exposed to its consequences.
The recent death of Mehdi Kessaci, a 20-year-old trainee policeman with no documented links to drug activity, is widely considered a targeted message to his 22-year-old brother, Ahmed Kessaci. Ahmed Kessaci is an anti-gang activist and politician currently under police protection, who first gained public attention in 2020 following the murder of his older brother, Brahim, who was a gang member. Ahmed Kessaci noted that both the perpetrators and victims of violence have become younger since 2020 and that previous informal codes regarding the conduct of violence have diminished.
Law Enforcement Response and Drug Trade Mechanics
French police have initiated intensive security operations in high-crime zones of Marseille to counter the escalating violence. One gang, the DZ Mafia, is reported to operate a franchise-like system involving numerous smaller distributors, often comprising teenagers and undocumented immigrants, who engage in territorial disputes. Estimates suggest up to 20,000 individuals may be involved in Marseille's drug industry. In the past year, authorities confiscated €42 million (£36 million) in criminal assets from these organizations. Social media platforms frequently display videos depicting armed gang members engaged in confrontations within Marseille's cités, which are characterized by high-rise social housing.
During a recent police operation, officers apprehended an 18-year-old in a dilapidated apartment block stairwell after a lookout fled. In a nearby cellar, cocaine distribution materials, including vials and plastic bags, were discovered. The detained individual stated that he had been recruited from another city, was being held against his will, and coerced into working for a drug gang, with an initial promise of €200 ($233;£175) per day.
Nicolas Bessone, the city's chief prosecutor, described the national drug industry as potentially worth up to €7 billion. He identified two key developments: a growing reliance on online platforms for recruitment, sales, and delivery, and an increasing number of teenagers being compelled into the trade. Bessone stated that traffickers establish fictional debts to coerce individuals into unpaid labor and employ violence for minor infractions, noting a reduction in the average age of both perpetrators and victims.
A lawyer recounted a case where a young person was forcibly recruited after school, coerced into drug trafficking, subjected to sexual assault, and then threatened, along with their family, to ensure participation. Social media platforms, such as TikTok, feature videos advertising drugs for sale in Marseille's cités and recruiting new gang members, offering payments for roles such as lookouts (€250) and drug transporters (€500).