Crackdown on the DZ Mafia: 119 arrests since October 1, a criminal network in transformation

Since October 1, 119 individuals linked to the DZ Mafia, a Marseille-based drug trafficking gang, have been arrested, resulting in over 100 indictments. These developments, announced on Saturday, December 7, by the judicial police and the Marseille prosecutor’s office, highlight a network that is expanding its criminal activities beyond drug trafficking.

high-profile cases and diversified operations

During a press conference, Marseille prosecutor Nicolas Bessone outlined the connections between the DZ Mafia and two recent high-profile cases:

• An attack targeting a vehicle where rapper SCH was expected to be, in which one of the artist’s associates was killed on August 26 in La Grande-Motte (Hérault).
• A case of extortion targeting a Marseille entrepreneur, owner of a nightclub, a restaurant, and multiple businesses.

The prosecutor revealed that these cases shared “common masterminds,” demonstrating the gang’s expansion into other areas of organized crime.

significant progress despite ongoing threats

In these two cases alone, 44 people have been indicted: 31 placed in pre-trial detention and 13 under judicial supervision. In total, since early October, eight investigations have led to the arrest of 119 individuals, with 73 in pre-trial detention and 33 under judicial supervision, according to Philippe Frizon, head of the Interdepartmental Judicial Police Service (SIPJ13).

Prosecutor Bessone praised the progress: “The problems won’t be solved overnight, but we’re seeing results.” He also confirmed that a suspected key figure in the DZ Mafia, already in custody, is believed to be involved in recent death threats against the director of the Baumettes prison in Marseille and one of her deputies.

an exceptionally serious situation

The two prison officials, who were targeted by a criminal “contract,” have been temporarily removed from their duties and placed under protection. The Ministry of Justice described the situation as “exceptionally serious.”

In a related development, two young men, aged 17 and 21, were arrested near the prison while armed. They were indicted and placed in pre-trial detention on Friday evening for a possible connection to the threats.

a grim toll from drug-related violence

Since the beginning of 2024, drug-related violence in the Marseille region has claimed 23 lives. In 2023, such conflicts reached a bloody peak, with 49 deaths, largely due to territorial battles between the DZ Mafia and a rival drug trafficking gang known as “Yoda.” The DZ Mafia ultimately emerged as the dominant group.