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The National Brigade of the Judicial Police in Casablanca (BNPJ) arrested a 34-year-old French national, Félix Bingui, on Friday. Bingui was the subject of an international arrest warrant issued by France for allegedly establishing criminal networks and engaging in international drug trafficking.
Nicknamed «Le Chat» (the Cat), Bingui is said to be the leader of the «formidable Yoda clan» in Marseille and reportedly fled to Morocco several months ago. According to a press release from the General Directorate of National Security (DGSN), the suspect was apprehended in Casablanca as part of a large-scale operation targeting his potential hiding places across the country.
Un des plus grand narcotrafiquant marseillais a été arrêté au Maroc. Bravo aux policiers qui poursuivent sans relâche le combat contre le trafic de drogue. Un grand coup est porté aujourd’hui au narcobanditisme grâce à notre coopération avec les autorités marocaines que je… https://t.co/C4PuohBt9j
— Gérald DARMANIN (@GDarmanin) March 9, 2024
The arrest follows a red notice issued by Interpol at the request of French authorities, who suspect Bingui of leading international drug trafficking and money laundering networks.
Bingui was placed in police custody and brought before the Casablanca prosecutor's office on Saturday as part of the extradition procedure.
French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin praised the effectiveness of Moroccan-French cooperation in the arrest, calling it «a great blow to drug banditry».
In a press release, the public prosecutor in Marseille, Nicolas Bessone, attributed the arrest to «remarkable cooperation from the Moroccan authorities (...) and the meticulous and tireless work» of French police services.
