The president, Emmanuel Macron, is traveling to Marseille on Tuesday March 19 for a surprise visit regarding the fight against drugs. “We will not give in” in the face of “this terrible scourge”, declared the Head of State at the start of the afternoon, assuring that he wanted to “make life impossible for consumers, (…) for the families of the youngest who serve lookouts or others and who are also victims of this trafficking.” “Support, empower, in certain cases sanction,” listed Mr. Macron.

“In Marseille and other cities in France, it is an unprecedented operation that we have launched to put a stop to drug trafficking, ensure republican order, and clear the air,” wrote Emmanuel Macron on X upon his arrival Tuesday morning in France’s second city.

The “Place Net XXL” operation has been carried out in Marseille “for twenty-four hours”, according to the Elysée. “There was a very big operation yesterday, which will last several weeks throughout Marseille,” said the head of state in the town of Castellane, in the north of the city, where he began his trip. “The goal is to try to destroy the networks and the traffickers and for the few who make your life impossible to leave,” he explained during an exchange with residents.

The first day of operation resulted in “more than 82 arrests and around sixty people in police custody,” Mr. Macron said. In addition, 140,000 euros were seized, according to an official source. According to a source close to the matter, 4,000 police officers and gendarmes will be mobilized per week in Marseille and the surrounding communities, for three weeks in total.

“The idea is to have a situation that is clearly cleaned up and to have a very strong impact in the coming weeks,” declared, alongside the Head of State, the new police prefect of Bouches- du-Rhône, Pierre-Edouard Colliex. “My roadmap today is clear: drugs, drugs, more drugs,” he announced at the beginning of March when he took office.

“What are we doing for Palestine, Mr. Macron? »

But, on Tuesday morning, Emmanuel Macron, accompanied by the Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, the Keeper of the Seals, Eric Dupond-Moretti, and the Secretary of State for the City, Sabrina Agresti-Roubache, was mainly questioned on the war in Ukraine, the situation in Gaza or even job search problems, during a crowd bath during which many middle and high school students had their correspondence books signed by him.

“Today, what are we doing for Palestine, Mr. Macron? », indignant a resident, Ahmed Saïd, accusing him of “pouring water in the sand” with France’s humanitarian action in the Gaza Strip. Shortly after, a crying mother asked the president to “do something for the Palestinians” and not let “these children die.”

“Calm down your little CRS,” a young person asked him, “there’s no point in sending them to us.”

49 deaths in 2023

Mr Macron’s visit to Marseille comes as several police operations have taken place recently concerning the two main gangs – DZ Mafia and Yoda – who are vying for control of drug trafficking in France’s second city.

Thirteen young suspected members of the DZ Mafia were arrested a week ago in Marseille, Rennes and in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence as part of an investigation into attempted murder in Spain. Ten of them were indicted on Saturday, according to the Marseille prosecutor’s office. These arrests came just a few days after the arrest in Morocco of Félix Bingui, 33, alias “the Cat”, the alleged leader of the Yoda clan, rival of the DZ Mafia in Marseille.

The turf war for control of deal points has bloodied Marseille like never before in 2023, with 49 people killed, including four collateral victims.

Marseille magistrates warned at the beginning of March about the power of drug trafficking. “We are losing the war against traffickers in Marseille,” worried Isabelle Fort, head of the department which deals with organized crime within the Marseille public prosecutor’s office, before the Senate commission of inquiry into fight against drug trafficking in France.