GABRIEL BOUYS / AFP
Over 40 people were arrested across six French departments, with 26 facing charges and 15 held in preliminary detention, although 11 are under judicial supervision.
A large-scale operation targeting the DZ Mafia criminal organization has led to the indictment of 26 individuals, authorities announced Saturday, March 14. The crackdown, involving approximately 900 officers, follows a broad investigation launched in early 2024 aimed at dismantling what prosecutors described as a well-established criminal network. This case underscores the challenges authorities face in combating organized crime in France.
Among those facing charges are two rappers. Dika, associated with the independent label 13th Art, which is linked to rapper Naps, has gained millions of views on YouTube since emerging in the 2010s. He’s known for collaborations with prominent French rap artists, including Jul on “On te connaît” and Naps on “Pochon bleu” and “LV.”
Investigators are examining potential links between Dika’s professional circle and the financing of drug trafficking. According to prosecutors, Dika’s record label, “Youleuh Records,” established in 2024, may have been used to launder illicit proceeds from drug sales. The prosecutor also noted the rappers’ role as “advertising relays.” Dika has been charged and placed under judicial supervision.
The other rapper implicated, whose identity was previously withheld, is KITKVT. He has been placed in preliminary detention. The prosecutor did not elaborate on the specific charges against him, but indicated he is from the northern districts of Marseille and began releasing music in 2025, including an appearance on Skyrock’s “Planète Rap” show dedicated to Dika earlier this year.
The rap scene has become increasingly vulnerable to criminal networks. “For some rappers, success can now be a curse given that it attracts criminal groups who will put pressure on them to get a share of the pie,” Paul Deustchmann, a journalist and author of the book L’empire, an investigation into the connections between rap and drug trafficking, told AFP in October. He added that these arrests “further illustrate the phenomenon of porosity, possibly of influence and diversification of the activities of criminal organizations.”
A “Feminization of Drug Trafficking”
Of the approximately 40 individuals arrested during the anti-DZ Mafia operation across six departments, 26 have been indicted, 15 are in preliminary detention, and 11 are under judicial supervision. Six of those facing charges had no prior record with law enforcement. Some have reportedly confessed to the crimes they are accused of.
Notably, nine of the individuals charged are women, a development the Marseille prosecutor described as a “real feminization of drug trafficking.” Twenty of those facing charges are from Marseille, confirming that the criminal group, which has expanded throughout the region and beyond, is “a Marseille organization,” the prosecutor emphasized. Five individuals, including three alleged leaders of the clan, were already in custody, four of them in high-security prisons.
During the operation, authorities seized assets valued at 4 million euros, including cryptocurrency, real estate, vehicles, and luxury goods from bank accounts.
Lawyer for Alleged DZ Mafia Leader Detained
Authorities have also raised concerns about potential corruption within the organization, which possesses significant financial resources. An attorney has been detained on suspicion of corruption, allegedly enabling one of the three alleged leaders, currently in custody, to communicate with the outside world. He has been placed in isolation.
The detained leader, previously held in a high-security prison designed to prevent drug traffickers from running their operations from behind bars, was reportedly able to communicate through the attorney, via privileged correspondence or the attorney’s computer, according to the prosecutor. Sources close to the investigation indicate the attorney is based in Lyon and was scheduled to defend one of the alleged DZ Mafia leaders in a 2019 double homicide case later this month.
The DZ Mafia, named for its Algerian origins, currently dominates the drug market in Marseille and has expanded along the Rhône River and elsewhere in France. The name emerged during a violent period in Marseille in 2023 linked to a conflict with the Yoda clan. The region is now experiencing a period of relative calm, largely attributed to the DZ Mafia’s dominance. The group’s activities have “diversified” beyond drug trafficking to include extortion of businesses, and the name also surfaced in a racketeering attempt targeting rapper SCH, which resulted in the murder of an associate.
