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Doha – Morocco has extradited Felix Bingui, the alleged leader of Marseille’s notorious “Yoda” drug gang, to France, as the country fights drug trafficking networks.
Bingui, 34, who agreed to his extradition during an April 2024 hearing at the Rabat Court of Cassation, arrived in France on Tuesday and is set to appear before an investigating judge.
The extradition follows his arrest on March 8, 2024, in Casablanca, where he had been based since a violent turf war erupted with rival gang “DZ Mafia” in February 2023.
French Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin hailed the extradition as a “victory against narcobanditism” on social media platform X, expressing gratitude to Moroccan authorities for their cooperation “which will finally allow French justice to judge him.”
The arrest warrant issued by Marseille authorities lists multiple charges against Bingui, including “importing narcotics through an organized gang, the transport, detention, acquisition and transfer of narcotics, criminal association, money laundering and non-justification of resources.”
Born in Alès, Gard region, Bingui, nicknamed “le chat,” began his criminal career with burglaries before transitioning to drug trafficking.
“He started with burglaries, he was arrested the first time for a big burglary in Montpellier and slowly, he slid towards drug trafficking and settling scores,” police officer Bruno Bartocetti told France 3 Provence-Alpes television.
Read also: Algerian Mafia Rules Marseille Streets
The conflict between Yoda and DZ Mafia has severely impacted France’s second-largest city’s security situation.
The gangs compete for control of lucrative drug dealing points, with some locations generating up to €80,000 in daily turnover.
In 2023, 35 of the city’s 49 drug-related deaths were linked to these two gangs.
Recent statistics show some improvement, with drug-related deaths decreasing to 24 in 2024.
Marseille prosecutor Nicolas Bessone attributes this decline partly to “the victory of the DZ Mafia over the Yoda clan” but warns that “we must remain very vigilant, there are still ongoing conflicts.”
The city’s chief police prefect, Pierre-Edouard Colliex, credits the reduction in violence to “historic mobilization” of police and justice services.
In 2024, over 2,000 individuals were indicted on drug offenses in Marseille, with 833 placed in pre-trial detention.
Bingui’s lawyer Philippe Ohayon stated he “hoped that the magistrates responsible for the case would approach the subject with serenity and complete independence, while respecting the rights of the defense.”
The extradition comes as French lawmakers prepare to debate new legislation aimed at strengthening measures against drug trafficking, following President Emmanuel Macron’s “XXL cleanup” initiative launched in March 2024.
