Kamel Meziani, figure of Marseille narco-banditism and suspected of being involved in a settling of scores, at the end of August in Marseille, was indicted in particular for "
organized gang murders
" and imprisoned, announced Tuesday, September 7 the prosecutor of Marseilles.
Read also Arrest of Kamel Meziani, figure of Marseille narco-banditism
The suspect, arrested on August 31, is also indicted for "
destruction by fire
" and "
concealment of theft
" by an organized gang, "
possession of weapons
" and finally "
participation in a criminal association with a view to preparing a crime. organized gang crimes,
”said Marseille prosecutor Dominique Laurens in a press release.
Sentenced to 30 years in prison
Kamel Meziani, 37, is suspected of being involved in the death of two men aged 25 and 26 on August 22 in the Marseille city of the Blue Navy (14th arrondissement), said Ms. Laurens during a press briefing on Friday. .
According to a source close to the investigation, Kamel Meziani is suspected of being one of the bosses of a major drug trafficking network in Marseille, that of the Cité des Oliviers (13th arrondissement).
Read also Who is Kamel Meziani, drug lord one of France's most wanted fugitives?
He was sentenced in January, in his absence, to 30 years of criminal imprisonment for the death of young men in another settling of scores in 2016. He was suspected in this case of having provided arms to two of his lieutenants.
He was also sentenced to 14 years' imprisonment for repeat drug trafficking.
Five other people arrested
In the wake of his arrest, five other people were arrested in Marseille and the Paris region. Two of them were presented to an examining magistrate with a view to their indictment for "
destruction by fire
", "
concealment of theft in an organized gang
", "
possession of weapons
" and "
criminal conspiracy in view. preparation for organized crime
”. They were also imprisoned.
Since the start of the year, 15 people have died in settlements linked to drug trafficking in the Bouches-du-Rhône, according to the head of the judicial police Eric Arella. The summer was marked by an outbreak of violence against a backdrop of competition on “
deal points
” in certain neighborhoods. Drug trafficking generates considerable sums, up to 80,000 euros per day in the City of Olives, fueling greed and territorial wars.