French President Emmanuel Macron launched on Tuesday an anti-drug trafficking operation in 10 French cities, including Marseille. The southern port city will host some Paris 2024 Olympic events this summer.
"In Marseille and other cities in France, we have launched an unprecedented operation to put a stop to drug trafficking and ensure republican order," Macron wrote on X.
Over the past year, gangland battles have left dozens of people dead and injured in drug turf wars in Marseille alone, drastically affecting the life of residents and making the anti-drug campaign necessary, Macron said. About 4,000 police officers will be mobilized in Marseille in the coming weeks.
Macron said almost 100 people were detained in the operation’s first raids, which began on Monday. Seventy-one more people have been taken into custody, and four guns, $420,000 in cash, 8.7 kilograms of cannabis and 339 grams of cocaine were seized, according to the police.
"Narcotics crimes in Marseille are a kind of gangrene that damages the social fabric," Marseille's top judge Olivier Leurent said earlier this month.
The quickly approaching Summer Olympics makes tackling the drug issues in the country even more pressing.
Some information for this report was provided by Agence France-Presse.
