Inside the French drug gangs recruiting children to kill
- French gangs, particularly the notorious DZ Mafia, are increasingly using social media to recruit minors from across France for drug trafficking, torture, and murder. These criminal groups now target vulnerable teenagers nationwide, moving beyond local recruitment to fill their ranks.
- Glamorous AI-generated images and promises of easy money drive recruitment, targeting youth without criminal records as more vulnerable to manipulation. Advertisements reach teenagers in Paris, Nantes, and Lille, pulling them toward the dangerous Quartier Nord in Marseille where gangs operate.
- Official figures show more than 10,000 children were involved in trafficking during 2025, according to authorities. Kingpins, often operating from prison or overseas, view this generation as easily corruptible and ultimately expendable within the brutal trade.
- The violence destroys families, leaving parents like Karine searching for answers after their children disappear or are killed. One court case revealed two boys held captive and tortured at the Frais-Vallon estate after being accused of "shortfalls" in takings.
- Although police arrested about 1,000 individuals associated with DZ Mafia since 2024, authorities describe the battle against these gangs as increasingly arduous. With cocaine users in France expected to reach two million, the illegal drug trade "distorts the economy," officials warn.
13 Articles
13 Articles
A small note secretly delivered to a woman who had just bought hashish revealed a shocking reality in Marseille. “We are being held hostage and we need help. We are 15 years old,” it read. The two teenagers had sought work with a criminal gang, but soon became victims. According to evidence presented in court, they were repeatedly beaten, humiliated and held under threat. One of them was also the victim of sexual violence. They tried to escape t…
The story of boys who were regularly beaten, forced to film humiliating nude scenes, and one of them was even raped.
A BBC journalist entered the dangerous underground of Marseille, where young people are recruited for crime and exploited.
In an investigation published this Monday, the BBC describes the recruitment of young people by the drug traffickers in Marseilles. A cycle of promises, drugs, violence and crimes. Time erodes innocence. Money devours it. At the age when the future should still be combined with the conditional, the crime imposes its grammar: obey, silence, survive. At the heart of its report, the BBC presents a certain Joe, managing a deal point in Marseilles, w…
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 60% of the sources lean Left
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
