Double Tragedy in France: Two Fatal Shootings Linked to Drug Trafficking Rivalries

On Sunday afternoon in the city of Sevran, a suburb of Paris, two men were fatally shot. This incident occurred just days after another shooting on Friday night, which left one dead and four injured in what appears to be a settling of accounts between rival drug trafficking gangs in France.

The two men, aged 33 and 34, were shot around 6:15 p.m. local time on the street of Snowdrop in the Basse neighborhood. The perpetrator, armed with a pistol, fled the scene, leaving behind approximately twenty bullet casings. Authorities suspect that drug trafficking may be involved as both victims had a history of involvement in the drug trade and violence.

This double homicide took place within 48 hours of another incident being investigated as a settling of accounts between rival gangs involved in the drug trade in the Beaudottes neighborhood. In that case, a 28-year-old man was killed and four others were injured by kalashnikov shots from an individual who was reportedly the co-pilot of a car that entered the vicinity of the Micro Folie cultural center.

According to Stéphane Blanchet, mayor of Sevran, such violence is not a random occurrence and is linked to drug trafficking and dirty money. Settling of accounts between criminal groups has been on the rise in France, with 85 recorded deaths last year, an increase of 20% compared to the previous year. French law enforcement has conducted anti-drug operations across the country, including dismantling well-known trading places like those found in Sevran’s Rougemont neighborhood.

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