Man found dead in Marseille – Possible drug-related killing

Man found dead in Marseille – Possible drug-related killing - A man with a gunshot wound to the head was found dead in the boot of a burning car in Marseille on Wednesday night, in an area plagued by drug trafficking. Authorities suspect it was a gang-related execution. Emergency services were called just before 11 p.m. by residents reporting an attempted car fire near the Font Vert housing estate in the city's impoverished northern districts. Firefighters discovered the man in cardiac arrest in the car’s trunk. Despite efforts to revive him, he was pronounced dead at the scene.

The man had been shot in the head. The perpetrators fled after trying to set the vehicle alight. Police have opened a homicide investigation, with the case handed to the organized crime division. While the link to drug-related gang violence has not been officially confirmed, the circumstances strongly suggest a “narco-homicide”, a term used in France to describe murders tied to drug turf wars. If confirmed, this would be the 8th narco-homicide in the Bouches-du-Rhône region in 2025, following 24 such killings in 2024 and a record 49 in 2023.

 

Last local news

French and Riviera News Wednesday 26 November 2025

A homeless man accused of firing a shot which seriously injured another homeless person in Nice has appeared in court. The man in his fifties claimed ... French and Riviera News Wednesday 26 November 2025 Read More

25/11/2025

French and Riviera News Tuesday 25 November 2025

A man has died after being struck by a train in the Var. Witnesses described seeing the man use his mobile phone whilst crossing the tracks at Puget-V... French and Riviera News Tuesday 25 November 2025 Read More

24/11/2025

French and Riviera News Monday 24 November 2025

Several people have been taken into custody after a shooting in the centre of Nice yesterday. The victim was shot in the head on rue de la Buffa ... French and Riviera News Monday 24 November 2025 Read More

23/11/2025

Evening Update Friday 21 November 2025

The French government has announced a prohibition on mobile phone use in six prisons Evening Update Friday 21 November 2025 Read More

21/11/2025

French and Riviera News Friday 21st November 2025

A sharp blast of Arctic air is set to hit the Côte d’Azur this weekend, with temperatures dipping to –4°C in parts of the Alpes-Maritimes and the Var.... French and Riviera News Friday 21st November 2025 Read More

21/11/2025