DZ Mafia leader Gabriel Ory held in custody over suspected prison escape plot
Gabriel Ory, one of three historical leaders of the Marseille-based DZ Mafia, was taken into police custody Tuesday over an alleged violent action plan, most likely an escape attempt from a high-security prison.
Custody order
Gabriel Ory, alias "Gaby" and considered one of the three historical leaders of the DZ Mafia, was extracted from his cell at the Condé-sur-Sarthe prison in Normandy on Tuesday morning and placed in police custody. The measure stems from an investigation led by Marseille judicial police into what a source described to the AFP as a "suspicion of preparation of an action, which could have been violent." The alert originated from surveillance prior to Ory's April trial in Aix-en-Provence, a proceeding that had drawn heavy security precautions amid fears of potential disruption.
The escape plot
According to reconstruction by Le Parisien, the probe centres on a violent action plan—most likely an escape attempt—orchestrated from inside the ultra-secure Vendin-le-Vieil prison in Pas-de-Calais. The plot was thwarted at the last moment by Marseille judicial police at the start of March. A source told Ouest France that "all this remains to be defined and proven," while confirming that other alleged DZ Mafia members are also under investigation in the same case. The suspected goal was to break Ory out of his high-security confinement.
The case suggested a violent action project was in preparation.
March seizures and charges
As early as mid-March, the Marseille public prosecutor's office had charged four individuals linked to the DZ Mafia with conspiracy to commit a crime and a misdemeanour in an organized gang. Then-Interior Minister Laurent Nunez detailed the equipment seized during the investigation: police and firefighter uniforms, walkie-talkies, flashing lights, armbands, smoke grenades, ropes, and a rented apartment. These items pointed to a meticulously planned operation, though its exact target remained unclear.
Ory's criminal profile
Ory was sentenced in April by a court in Aix-en-Provence to 25 years in prison for his role in facilitating a 2019 double murder, a crime that predated the formal creation of the DZ Mafia. The organization has since risen to dominate the narcotics underworld of Marseille, and Ory is widely viewed as one of its most feared figures. His transfer to custody comes amid ongoing efforts by French authorities to dismantle the gang's command structure.
