Three individuals have been fatally shot in a car in the southern French city of Marseille, marking another incident in the city’s recent wave of drug-related violence.
According to local authorities, the attack took place shortly after the victims, five individuals in total, left a nightclub and were fired upon with Kalashnikov rifles.
Following the assault, two of the targeted individuals managed to escape, as did the unidentified attackers.
Law enforcement officials have attributed the incident to the ongoing drugs trade. This incident brings the total number of drug-related killings in Marseille to 21 this year, as reported by AFP news agency.
The shooting occurred in a residential area of France’s second-largest city. The victims, all in their twenties, were targeted moments after leaving the nightclub at around 05:00 local time.
Reports suggest that the five individuals were known to the police and resided in a housing estate plagued by drug-related crime.
Investigators have stated that the discovery of a burned-out vehicle near the crime scene further indicates the involvement of drug-related violence, as criminals often destroy evidence by setting fire to their vehicles.
Regional prefect Frederique Camilleri, addressing the media at the scene, expressed the commitment of the entire police force to apprehend the perpetrators of these heinous crimes and dismantle the trafficking networks responsible for the ongoing violence.
Camilleri also revealed that over the weekend, law enforcement authorities had confiscated weapons, including three Kalashnikov assault rifles, and apprehended five individuals on charges related to firearms possession in connection with the drugs trade.
Last month, Camilleri and local prosecutor Dominique Laurens highlighted the escalating turf wars over lucrative drug markets in Marseille, warning that they were transforming into a dangerous “vendetta.”
The recent surge in drug-related violence has raised concerns about the safety and security of Marseille’s residents, prompting intensified efforts from law enforcement agencies to combat the drug trade and restore peace to the city.
