French President Emmanuel Macron announced in Marseille the launch of an unprecedented operation aimed at stopping drug trafficking operations that have sparked bloody incidents in the country’s second-largest city.
Macron wrote on his platform: “In Marseille and other French cities, it’s an unprecedented operation we’ve launched to halt drug trafficking operations and ensure public order and clean up the scene.”
After touring the Castellane neighborhood in the north of the city for over two hours, he explained that it is the first operation in a series of ten operations to clean up the scene that will take several weeks.
Macron’s unannounced visit comes two weeks after judges from the city issued a call for the implementation of a “Marshall Plan” to save Marseille from the scourge of drugs.
The conflict between drug trafficking networks has led to violent acts reaching their peak in 2023, resulting in the deaths of 49 people and the injury of 123 others.
The public prosecutor in Marseille, Nicolas Bes, warned on Tuesday that despite a calm since the beginning of the year following a large number of arrests, violence may resume; there are slight signs indicating that.
Macron stated that drug trafficking is a growing scourge, and the situation is very difficult, whether in Marseille or in an increasing number of cities.
