One of France’s most wanted alleged drug lords extradited from Morocco
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Félix ‘the Cat’ Bingui due to appear in Marseille court on multiple charges including money laundering. One of France’s most wanted suspected drug traffickers was due in court in Marseille after his extradition from Morocco. Félix Bingui, known as “the Cat” and reportedly head of the notorious Yoda clan, was arrested in Casablanca last March.
![[Félix Bingui was arrested in Morocco last April.]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/f82f6e139159e99e5d11f2431bc34811207c3732/305_0_640_800/master/640.jpg?width=120&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
France’s justice minister, Gérald Darmanin, hailed the extradition of the 34-year-old as a “victory against narco-crime”. Based in Marseille’s northern suburbs, the Yoda clan was directly linked to 35 of 49 drug-related assassinations in the city in 2023, most of which related to a settling of scores with another gang called DZ Mafia. The warfare is believed to have started in February 2023 in a Thai nightclub when Bingui tipped a bowl of ice over a leading member of DZ Mafia.
Three months later, Bingui’s brother-in-law Omar, nicknamed “Scar”, was assassinated in Spain. France’s Anti-Drug Office (Ofast) traced Bingui to Morocco where he was arrested and made the subject of an extradition request that the Rabat authorities approved last April. He agreed to be sent back and was returned on Wednesday.
Bingui was due to appear before a judge on several charges including “importing drugs as part of a criminal organisation, money laundering and the non declaration of resources”. His lawyer Philippe Ohayon told Le Parisien he hoped “the magistrates responsible for the case [would] approach the subject with serenity and complete independence, while respecting the rights of the defence”.
