Aix-en-Provence trial begins for 2020 triple narco-homicide

The trial for a triple narco-homicide committed in late 2020 has commenced in Aix-en-Provence, France. Five defendants, including two prominent figures in Marseille's organized crime, are facing charges related to the brutal killings of three men found burned and dismembered in vehicles.

The victims included Brahim Chabane, the older brother of Amine Kessaci, a Marseille deputy mayor and anti-drug activist. The killings occurred during a period of intense territorial conflict over drug trafficking in Marseille. On December 29, 2020, two bodies were found in a burned vehicle in a highway tunnel, and on January 6, a third victim, Nassim Loubani, was discovered dismembered in another car.

Amine Kessaci is appearing as a civil party, stating that the trial is about justice rather than vengeance. The Kessaci family has faced further tragedy with the November 2025 assassination of their younger brother, Mehdi, who was unrelated to drug trafficking. One of the accused, Karim Harrat, is suspected of orchestrating and financing the murders from Dubai to eliminate rivals.