French mayor taken from his home and placed under protection after drug gang threats
Authorities acted after credible intelligence suggested an imminent attack, and prosecutors said 9mm bullets and threatening graffiti were found at Christophe Rivenq’s home.
- On Tuesday, authorities moved Mayor Christophe Rivenq to police protection after credible intelligence suggested an imminent attack by the Mafia, a prominent drug gang.
- Interior Minister Laurent Nunez ordered the evacuation after intelligence indicated the Mafia planned an attack, marking a rare targeting of an elected official in France.
- Earlier this month, the National Prosecutor's Office for the Fight Against Organized Crime found 9mm bullets and threatening graffiti at Rivenq's home, documenting previous intimidation attempts.
- PNACO took over the case from Marseille prosecutors, while Nunez stated, "Alès is clearly a place where the DZ Mafia is trying to establish a foothold," about 160 kilometers from its base.
- The incident reflects France's grinding battle against mounting drug crime as the illicit market nearly tripled in value from €2.3 billion in 2010 to €6.8 billion by 2023, according to the French Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction .
31 Articles
31 Articles
Threatened by death by the DZ Mafia New Generation and forced to be exfiled from his home by the GIGN, the mayor of Alès, Christophe Rivenq, has received the support of many elected officials. All call for a more...
The incident experienced by the mayor of Alès, Christophe Rivenq, following the threats attributed to this criminal group already targeted by several judicial investigations, revives the debate on the organization's dangerousness, but also on its apprehension by the public authorities, according to the economist.
Interviewed at the 19/20 of France 3, Michaël Delafosse wanted to support Christophe Rivenq and gave details of the threats he was subjected to.
In France, Christophe Rivenq, the LR mayor of Alès, is the target of threats attributed to the criminal group DZ Mafia, which has extended its influence over the sub-prefecture in the Gard department. To discuss this, France 24 welcomes Yann Bisiou, a lecturer specializing in public drug policy.
The 4th deputy mayor of Marseilles has also been under police protection, for almost a year now after the death of his brother Mehdi, a victim of drug trafficking.
Will the DZ Mafia switch into narco-terrorism? 9-millimetre calibre balls in the mailbox, emails, SMS and threat letters, avenger tags on his house, a car "potentially trapped" spotted in front of his home... Since he dared to stand up to the traffickers, the life of the mayor of Dr Alès is under permanent threat. Pan of territory after pan of territory, a surrogate sovereignty settles at low noise. Will France be the next narco-state? The mafia…
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