ISTANBUL

French authorities have arrested 42 suspected members of the so-called “DZ Mafia” in a large-scale operation targeting one of the country’s most violent criminal networks, prosecutors said Tuesday.

The coordinated raids were carried out between Monday and Tuesday across several southern departments, including Bouches-du-Rhone, Var, Vaucluse, and Gard, as well as inside multiple French prisons, according to Le Parisien.

According to Marseille prosecutors, the suspects were detained as part of an investigation into the structure and financing of the criminal group, which authorities say operates primarily through drug trafficking.

The suspects face charges including directing a criminal organization involved in narcotics trafficking, an offense punishable in France by life imprisonment, as well as participation in a criminal association and aggravated money laundering.

Among those detained are three alleged leaders of the organization, identified as Amine O., also known as “Mamine,” Gabriel O., aka “Gaby,” and Madhi Z., aka “La Brute.” All three are inmates considered by investigators to be the masterminds behind numerous violent crimes linked to the group.

A lawyer from Lyon is among those targeted in the investigation, suspected of receiving bribes from the network and facilitating the activities of certain members while they were in prison.

The DZ Mafia emerged during the COVID-19 lockdown in Marseille’s Paternelle housing project, reportedly gaining influence by maintaining cannabis supply at a time when much of France was under strict restrictions.

The group later engaged in a violent turf war with a rival Marseille gang known as the Yoda clan in 2023, a conflict that left 49 people dead that year alone.

Authorities say the organization has since expanded its activities beyond Marseille, extending operations to other cities and diversifying into extortion targeting businesses and nightlife venues.

The group has also been linked to several high-profile crimes, including an attempted extortion case tied to the 2024 death of an associate of French rapper SCH.