France, Nov. 20 -- Justice minister Gerald Darmanin said the threat from drug trafficking is now "at least equivalent to that of terrorism", as Marseille struggles with the daylight killing of 22-year-old Mehdi Kessaci last Thursday.

Darmanin travelled to the city on Thursday with interior minister Laurent Nuñez for a high-level meeting at police headquarters.

Senior prosecutors and security officials from the Bouches-du-Rhone department were called in to examine how the city's drug networks, including the so-called DZ Mafia, are operating and how the state plans to respond.

Macron leads Elysee crisis talks over spiralling Marseille drug violence National threat

"What is happening with the DZ Mafia affects at least a dozen other ...