Let’s discover some facts about the French mafia.
facts about the French mafia
The French Mafia is one of the world’s most dangerous criminal organizations. Mafias are responsible for banning competition, smuggling, drugs, counterfeiting, money laundering, and white-collar crimes.
The French Mafia’s stronghold is in France’s high-crime areas like Marseille or rural areas with a large immigrant population where authorities are less likely to pay attention to them.
The roots of the French Mafia trace back to Italy and Sicily during World War II. As these countries had their fair share of problems with the organized crime because of the warring factions, many criminals from both sides found themselves in France.
Today’s French Mafia has evolved into an organized crime network with members all over Europe and beyond.
Surprisingly enough, it is not a big network like other mafias, such as the Italian Mafia or the Russian Mafia, but rather a vast group spread out over several different cities and regions around France.
How big is the French Mafia?
The French Mafia is considered one of the smaller mafias in the world. There are 3,000 and 5,000 members in the network at any given time.
However, the French Mafia is considered extremely dangerous due to its organized nature and ability to produce and smuggle high-quality drugs like heroin and cocaine and synthetic drugs like ecstasy.
The French Mafia is also known for its involvement in human trafficking, illegal arms trading and extortion.
How did the French mafia form?
The French Mafia formed due to the migrants from Italy and the French settlers in Algeria during the first half of the 20th century.
These people engaged in smuggling and other illegal activities. The immigrants then expanded their network to include members who were already part of the French criminal network and extended their reach to other cities in France.
The small size of the French Mafia is one of its biggest strengths, as it is difficult to find and act as an informant against any individual within the network. This makes it very difficult to dismantle the network.
Important mafia figures in the French Mafia
As with the Italian Mafia and other major Mafia, the French Mafia has its important figures whom the network members look up to and try to emulate.
In the French Mafia, these figures’ most notorious and dangerous is the “boss of bosses”. He is the undisputed head of the French Mafia, referred to as “the don”.
Other important mafia figures in the French Mafia include “the advisor” and “the accountant”. For the most part, the duties of these figures are similar to those of their Italian mafia counterparts.
The advisor suggests measures to expand the reach and reach of the network. The accountant keeps track of the network’s illegal earnings and other liquid assets.
Common crimes committed by the French Mafia
While the French Mafia is known to have a wide range of crimes under its belt, a few have garnered it a special place in the annals of crime.
The French Mafia is famous for its drug trafficking, especially the sale and trafficking of heroin. The French Mafia is also known to smuggle humans, both legal and illegal immigrants.
The network also smuggles and trades illegal arms for its use and to sell to other criminal networks.
The two main groups of members of the French Mafia
Based on the amount of police attention received by the members of the French Mafia, the two main groups of members of the French Mafia are known as the “pave” and the “peau”.
The “pave” are the ambitious members of the French Mafia who want to rise the ranks quickly and become “boss of bosses” and “the don”.
They undergo rigorous training and commit crimes that are easy to pin down and are punishable by heavy sentences. These include drug trafficking, arms trafficking, human trafficking and smuggling of goods like cigarettes, fake alcohol and fake medicines.
The “pave” is also known to conduct cyber scams, extort businesses and even commit financial fraud.
The “peau” is the less ambitious but equally dangerous members of the French Mafia who, unlike the “pave”, are not committed to any particular crime and enjoy the benefits of the network.
The “peau” are looked down upon by the “pave” as they have no desire to rise higher in the network hierarchy.
What is next for the French Mafia?
As the French Mafia has found itself in the limelight, it will likely become even more dangerous soon.
To stay away from the law and for members to feel safe and secure, the French Mafia is likely to adopt stricter codes of conduct, reinforce the chain of command and enhance training for new members.
This will make it harder for the police to find evidence against the network members. The French Mafia is unlikely to be eliminated, but with the right approach, it can be brought down to the size where it is no longer a danger to society.