One of France’s most wanted alleged drug lords extradited from Morocco

One of France’s most wanted suspected drug traffickers was due in court in Marseille after his extradition from Morocco.

Félix Bingui, known as “the Cat” and reportedly head of the notorious Yoda clan, was arrested in Casablanca last March.

France’s justice minister, Gérald Darmanin, hailed the extradition of the 34-year-old as a “victory against narco-crime”.

Félix Bingui was arrested in Morocco last April. Photograph: French police

Based in Marseille’s northern suburbs, the Yoda clan was directly linked to 35 of 49 drug-related assassinations in the city in 2023, most of which related to a settling of scores with another gang called DZ Mafia. The warfare is believed to have started in February 2023 in a Thai nightclub when Bingui tipped a bowl of ice over a leading member of DZ Mafia.

Three months later, Bingui’s brother-in-law Omar, nicknamed “Scar”, was assassinated in Spain.

France’s Anti-Drug Office (Ofast) traced Bingui to Morocco where he was arrested and made the subject of an extradition request that the Rabat authorities approved last April. He agreed to be sent back and was returned on Wednesday.

Bingui was due to appear before a judge on several charges including “importing drugs as part of a criminal organisation, money laundering and the non declaration of resources”.

His lawyer Philippe Ohayon told Le Parisien he hoped “the magistrates responsible for the case [would] approach the subject with serenity and complete independence, while respecting the rights of the defence”.

Emmanuel Macron visited one of the worst affected estates in northern Marseille, La Castellane, last March as part of a 24-hour operation against drug gangs that resulted in 82 arrests. The president subsequently announced 4,000 police and gendarmes would be mobilised for a three-week crackdown.

On Tuesday, the Marseille police prefect, Pierre-Edouard Colliex, and the city’s prosecutor, Nicolas Bessone, presented their latest report on crime figures. In 2024, more than 2,000 suspects were indicted on drug-related offences, of whom 833 were placed in pre-trial detention. They said several gunmen were arrested before they could carry out shootings.

At least 100 police officers were injured in drug-related incidents and more than €40m (£34m) in criminal assets and money was seized.

However, the number of drug-trafficking deaths dropped to 24 last year from 49 in 2023.

Ministers have made tackling drug-related crime a priority. Senators will next week examine a cross-party law aimed at reducing the offences, including the creation of a dedicated national prosecutor.