In an alarming escalation of Marseille, France’s violent drug wars, a 15-year-old boy was found dead on October 2, 2024, after sustaining over 50 stab wounds before being set on fire. The incident, described by local prosecutor Nicolas Bessone as “unprecedented savagery,” marks a grim new chapter in the city’s ongoing turf wars between rival gangs.
The teenager’s death is believed to be linked to a brutal conflict between rival drug factions. According to authorities, the boy had been hired by a 23-year-old inmate, reportedly a member of the DZ Mafia, to intimidate a competing gang by setting their property ablaze. The boy was promised a reward of around $2,200 for his part in the attack.
However, before he could carry out the mission, members of a rival gang intercepted him, stabbing him repeatedly and then setting him on fire.
In the wake of this failed mission, the same inmate recruited another minor—a 14-year-old—offering a significantly larger sum, approximately $55,000, to murder a rival gang member. The boy, equipped with a .357 Magnum revolver, traveled with an accomplice in a taxi to the location of the planned attack. According to reports, when the 36-year-old taxi driver, identified as Nessim Ramdane, refused to wait for him, the teenager fatally shot him before fleeing the scene.
Bessone said that the situation in Marseille, home to around 860,000 people, has taken on an entirely new level of severity. He voiced alarm over how shockingly young these boys are when they’re drawn into such violent roles.
The prosecutor explained that both teenagers had been recruited through social media, noting that drug lords were using online platforms to hire young boys for tasks ranging from street dealing to committing murders, with no hesitation or regret.
Authorities estimate that the city’s drug market generates close to $3 billion annually, with individual dealing points earning between $26,000 and $95,000 daily. While drug-related deaths have seen a slight decline in 2024, the pervasive nature of the violence remains a serious concern. The frequency of incidents in the city’s northern districts, known for high crime rates, has alarmed locals.
With 17 drug-related homicides reported this year, Marseille continues to struggle with the realities of narco-homicides. Investigators are closely examining the ties between the DZ Mafia and other factions in the city’s underworld.
The violence has prompted renewed scrutiny of the gangs that dominate Marseille, highlighting the immense challenge authorities face in combating the city’s deep-rooted issues.