Morocco: French drug gang leader arrested 

The all time low relations between France and Morocco might have hit rock bottom and are ready to improve, following the news of a drug bust which the Moroccans helped France pull off.

An alleged leader of a major drug gang from the southern French port city of Marseille, has been arrested in Morocco, reports The Arab Weekly plus agencies. 

Felix Bingui, 33, is believed to be the leader of Yoda, a drug gang operating in Marseille, France’s second-largest city.

On the 9th of March, Nicolas Bessone, Marseille prosecutor stated that Bingui had been detained in the port city of Casablanca, Morocco’s largest city. 

The arrest was a result of many months of cooperation between French and Moroccan officials, according to the source.  

READ: French Navy seizes millions of dollars worth of cocaine

French Interior Minister, Gerald Darmanin thanked the Moroccan authorities, saying “a big blow” had been dealt to drug trafficking. 

He took to X, formerly Twitter, writing “One of Marseille’s biggest drug traffickers was arrested in Morocco. Bravo to the police officers who tirelessly continue the fight against drug trafficking”.

As Marseille is one of France’s poorest metropoles, being notorious for its rundown streets and housing trade, it is seen as the hub of the narcotics trade. 

In recent years, the city has witnessed a power struggle between Yoda and another major clan known as the DZ Mafia for control over the highly profitable drug market. 

According to a source close to the investigation, Bingui regularly moved back and forth between France and Morocco until the outbreak of the turf war with DZ Mafia in February 2023.

In 2023, 49 people were killed and more than 120 received injuries in drug-related violence between the rival gangs in Marseille.

The Arab Weekly/ Agencies.