This is the story of two glass and concrete skyscrapers named "Act One" and "Act Two," in reference to the two-act ballets performed at the nearby opera house. Some 50 stories high, they rose from the ground in 2022, in a district of Dubai that local developers like to call "the most prestigious square kilometer in the world." From light-colored marble floors to large balconies, gyms and outdoor pools, most of the 778 apartments were already sold before construction. Today, around 100 nationalities live side by side including, Americans, Chinese, Saudis, Pakistanis and a handful of French. Among the latter are owners with a particular profile, who have made a name for themselves by buying up entire floors. They are neither wealthy footballers nor classic investors looking for profitability, they are all linked to drug trafficking in France.

Their presence in Dubai has attracted the attention of the French justice system, which is determined to get its hands on the millions of euros invested in property in this way. Le Monde has learned that the Marseille prosecutor's office opened an investigation in July into the real estate assets of several local drug trafficking figures holding property in Dubai, specifically in the notorious Act One and Act Two areas. These investigations, entrusted to the Anti-Narcotics Office (OFAST), concern "laundering of drug trafficking and laundering in an organized gang against several members of a major cannabis trafficking network," said the prosecutor's office, who added that "a request for international criminal assistance has been formalized with the United Arab Emirates," in order to identify the complete assets of the people in question.

Several major players in the Oliviers network – named after a housing estate in Marseille's northern suburbs known as a major sales point for cannabis, cocaine and MDMA – are at the heart of the investigation. Among them is Amdjad A., who appeared before the Marseille Criminal Court in March. At the time, the 30-something man admitted his involvement in trafficking and his role as "intermediary for the transport and delivery" of drugs to the Oliviers network. He also admitted to working with other networks in Marseille, Nice and Lyon. But he was less forthcoming about the money he earned. In a telephone conversation intercepted by the police, his wife mentioned property acquired in Dubai. When questioned about it, the defendant denied any such investment. He was sentenced to eight years' imprisonment, but the courts have not yet been able to confirm what he did with the money.

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