France, Jan. 3 -- Shot dead at the age of 20 while parking his car in Marseille, Mehdi Kessaci was not involved in trafficking. Investigators believe he was targeted because of his brother Amine's outspoken anti-drugs activism - a warning, they fear, aimed at silencing opposition.
His murder, the 15th drug-related killing in the Marseille region in 2025, was described by Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez as a "turning point" and a "crime of intimidation". It also reignited a debate about how France should respond to criminal networks whose annual turnover is estimated at between five and six billion euros.
New legislation adopted in June last year expands surveillance powers, makes it easier to seize criminal assets and has created a d...