Rabat – French police have detained and questioned singer Maitre Gims as part of an investigation into alleged organized money laundering, authorities said on Wednesday.
Police stopped the 39-year-old artist, whose real name is Gandhi Djuna, upon arrival at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris and placed him in custody by judicial customs officers, France24 reported.
His questioning is carried out under a judicial commission that France’s National Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime oversees. The unit was created earlier this year to handle complex criminal cases.
According to investigators, the case involves a suspected international network accused of using multiple companies across different countries to evade taxes, issue false invoices, and hide the origin of illegally obtained funds.
Several individuals, reportedly former drug traffickers who turned to financial crime, have already been implicated in the case.
Authorities are also looking into a luxury real estate project Gims has promoted in Marrakech, where the artist resides part-time.
The development, known as “Sunset Village Private Residences,” includes plans for 118 high-end villas equipped with sports facilities, a spa, sauna, and hammam, centered around a large lagoon. The project was launched in 2025 with significant publicity and was expected to mark a major step in the singer’s business ventures beyond music.
Gims has not publicly commented on the case, and his lawyer declined to respond to media inquiries, AFP reported.
Gims is one of the most successful artists in the French-speaking world. A former member of the rap group Sexion d’Assaut, he has dominated music charts for over a decade with hits like “Bella” and “Sapés comme jamais.”
