Is DZ Mafia a French drug cartel, an illicit 'brand', or a drug trafficking 'franchise'?

A criminal organization in France is raising questions about modern organized crime. Threats against the mayor of Arles have spotlighted DZ Mafia—which experts variously characterize as a cartel, a brand used by multiple criminal networks, or a drug-trafficking franchise, per France 24. Criminal law specialist Yann Bisiou from Paul-Valéry University argues the real issue isn't policing but structural. These networks are increasingly brazen, he says, because France's drug prohibition policy has failed to reduce the trade, leaving it persistently lucrative—an institutional policy failure rather than simply a law-enforcement challenge.

Listen to this story

Hear this and more stories in a personalized audio briefing.

Open The Chonkerton