Macron requires motion on drug crime after 'turning level' homicide in Marseille

[ad_1] French President Emmanuel Macron Tuesday known as for extra measures in opposition to drug crime after the brother of a distinguished anti-narcotics activist was murdered final week within the southern metropolis of Marseille, a minister stated.

France's second-largest metropolis is struggling to battle drug crime, with greater than a dozen folks killed because the begin of the yr in turf wars and different disputes linked to cocaine and hashish dealing.

Macron convened an emergency assembly with cupboard ministers after an unidentified gunman killed the 20-year-old youthful brother of activist and Greens occasion member Amine Kessaci, 22, in Marseille on Thursday final week.

Inside Minister Laurent Nuñez stated after the assembly on the Elysee that Thursday's homicide had been a "turning level" and Macron had known as on members to "up" the battle in opposition to drug dealing.

"Sadly, it is an act of intimidation that could be very immediately linked to trafficking," he stated of the killing of Mehdi Kessaci, who had no prison file and wished to be a police officer.

Nuñez stated he and Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin could be heading to Marseille on Thursday, forward of Macron visiting the southern metropolis in December.

Nuñez stated the president had requested ministers to work on higher intercepting medicine getting into France, together with via "detection programs for flows at ports and airports" and extra cooperation with the judicial authorities of overseas international locations.

'Put an finish to that' Kessaci grew to become an advocate for the households of victims of drug crime and for extra alternatives for youth in Marseille's impoverished northern districts when his older half-brother was killed in 2020 after falling into drug dealing.

He and his household have been set to bury his youthful brother in non-public on Tuesday afternoon, forward of a deliberate march in his reminiscence on Saturday.

Nunez stated Kessaci's household had been given police safety, and safety forces could be current at each occasions.

A supply following the case, requesting anonymity as a result of not authorised to talk to the press, informed AFP Macron had known as Kessaci to current his condolences.

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<img fetchpriority="low" src="https://s.france24.com/media/display/565a0482-c47b-11f0-826d-005056bf30b7/w:1280/p:16x9/EN-20251118-131703-131858-CS.jpg" srcset="https://s.france24.com/media/display/565a0482-c47b-11f0-826d-005056bf30b7/w:388/p:16x9/EN-20251118-131703-131858-CS.jpg 388w,https://s.france24.com/media/display/565a0482-c47b-11f0-826d-005056bf30b7/w:720/p:16x9/EN-20251118-131703-131858-CS.jpg 720w,https://s.france24.com/media/display/565a0482-c47b-11f0-826d-005056bf30b7/w:1024/p:16x9/EN-20251118-131703-131858-CS.jpg 1024w,https://s.france24.com/media/display/565a0482-c47b-11f0-826d-005056bf30b7/w:1280/p:16x9/EN-20251118-131703-131858-CS.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) calc(100vw - 32px), (max-width: 1076px) calc(100vw - 44px), 850px" width="1280" height="720" alt="" loading="lazy" class="a-img "/> © France 24 Kessaci had been beneath police safety, together with after writing a guide about his expertise of shedding his brother, one other supply following the case informed AFP final week.

"You died since you believed in a rotten dream, bought piecemeal in stairwells. And if I am talking up in the present day, it is to place an finish to that," he wrote to his older brother in his guide "Marseille, wipe your tears" revealed final month.

The regulation scholar ran as a civil society member on the Greens record within the European and parliamentary elections final yr, however was unsuccessful in each.

Fourteen folks have been killed in drug-related crimes because the begin of the yr within the Marseille area, in accordance with an AFP tally of official figures.

However authorities are additionally involved about comparable violence in different components of France.

Within the southeastern metropolis of Grenoble, a teen suffered gunshot wounds on the weekend close to a drug dealing spot and remained in a coma on Tuesday.