Join on WhatsApp
Join on Telegram
Rabat – A suspected drug dealer arrested by Moroccan police in March agreed to his extradition to France.
AFP reported that Felix Bingui, who is allegedly the leader of Marseille’s main drug trafficking networks, accepted his extradition for drug trafficking charges and intends to return to France.
Bingui’s lawyer Philippe Ohayon said that the suspect intends to return to the European country as soon as possible to defend himself. The lawyer said the process could be validated “next week,” by Morocco’s Court of Cassation.
However, the extradition could take several months, the lawyer added.
AFP reported that Bingui is accused of orchestrating a “bloody drug trafficking war” in Marseille. He was the subject of an arrest warrant from an investigating judge in France for different charges, including facilitating the importation of narcotics, possession, acquisition, and exportation of drugs, in addition to money laundering.
Moroccan police arrested the suspect on March 8 in Casablanca. Following his arrest, French Minister of Interior Gerald Damanin said that the security operation was a “major blow to narco-banditry thanks to our cooperation with Moroccan authorities.”
The French news agency said that Bingui regularly traveled to Morocco until February 2023, marking the outbreak of a “war” with another drug trafficking network dubbed “DZ Mafia.”
Morocco frequently cooperates with its international partners to fight against transnational crimes related to terrorism as well as human and drug trafficking.
France and Morocco have recently emphasized their determination to boost cooperation at all levels, including security.
April marked an official visit by French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin to Rabat, where he discussed security cooperation with Moroccan officials.
During the visit, Darmanin thanked Morocco for its operational and logistical support in the preparations for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Darmanin also commented on Morocco’s approach to tackling security threats and migration challenges, stressing that this mechanism constitutes a “factor for regional peace and stability.”
He said that Morocco’s security approach establishes Morocco as a “bulwark” against threats and marks it as a reliable and credible partner on the international stage, particularly among Mediterranean countries to the south.
