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

Stuart Norval is pleased to welcome Yann Bisiou, Senior Lecturer in Private Law and Criminal Law at Paul-Valéry University. The threats against the mayor of Arles illustrate how criminal networks are becoming increasingly brazen, challenging authority head-on. Rather than focusing solely on the violence, public drug policy specialist Bissiot argues that the incident exposes an institutional failure. He asserts that DZ Mafia is not a policing problem but rather the predictable consequence of a prohibition model failing to reduce a lucrative illicit drug trade.