Here in France, authorities are waging an increasingly intense battle against rising drug crime.
That fight took a new turn this week – as the mayor of the southern town of Alès was spirited from his home by police in the middle of the night over fears for his safety.
He'd received multiple threats from the drug gang known as the “DZ Mafia”.
Once a local player on the Marseille drug market, the gang has expanded to become one of France's top security threats.
Details by Bryan Quinn and our colleagues at France Televisions.
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