PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron Tuesday urged more measures against drug crime after the brother of a prominent anti-narcotics activist was murdered last week in the southern city of Marseille, a minister said.
France’s second-largest city is struggling to battle drug crime, with more than a dozen people killed since the start of the year in turf wars and other disputes linked to cocaine and cannabis dealing.
Macron convened an emergency meeting with cabinet ministers after an unidentified gunman killed the 20-year-old younger brother of activist and Greens party member Amine Kessaci, 22, in Marseille on Thursday last week.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said after the meeting at the Elysee that Thursday’s murder had been a “turning point” and Macron had called on participants to “up” the battle against drug dealing.
“Unfortunately, it’s an act of intimidation that is very directly linked to trafficking,” he said of the killing of Mehdi Kessaci, who had no criminal record and wanted to be a police officer.
