French drug gang recruits teenagers from across the country, BBC reports

The BBC investigation, reproduced by The Horizon Wire, reports that DZ Mafia is recruiting young people from across France not only to sell drugs, but also to carry out kidnappings, torture and murder. The broadcaster says it spoke to several young men involved in the violence.

One man, given the name Adam by the BBC, said he had been part of a DZ Mafia hit squad. He is in prison awaiting trial after being implicated in several murders, the broadcaster reported. Now in his twenties, he described the drug-trafficking environment he entered as a teenager as a trap. He said he felt partly guilty but had no regrets.

Another man, identified as Camil, told the BBC he had worked his way up to a security role in the gang and had since left. He said recruits were offered things they wanted, from cars and apartments to drugs, creating a sense of loyalty to the group.

The BBC also found social media posts advertising work in Marseille for drivers, couriers and hitmen. Police told the broadcaster that such adverts could reach teenagers in cities including Paris, Nantes and Lille. The report does not establish how many young people have been recruited nationwide by DZ Mafia.

The recruitment of young people from outside Marseille is not new. In a 2025 call for research, France’s judicial youth protection service described young people from other departments being recruited through social media for drug trafficking and related score-settling in the city. It called for updated research into minors’ roles and recruitment.

France Télévisions had previously investigated young killers and the rivalry between DZ Mafia and the Yoda gang, in a documentary first broadcast in 2024. It also reported recruitment through social media.