In 2010, social problems have overrun the poorer suburbs of Paris; especially Banlieue 13, commonly referred to as B13: a ghetto with a population of some two million. Unable to control B13, the authorities construct a high wall topped by barbed tape around the entire area, forcing the inhabitants within to survive without education, proper utilities or police protection behind the containment wall. Police checkpoints stop anybody going in or out. Three years later, the district has become overrun with gangs. LeÃ¯to (David Belle) is a fighter of such gangs. The beginning of the film depicts LeÃ¯to washing a case full of drugs down the drain, then escaping the gang who has come to collect the drugs. The gang's leader, Taha, kidnaps LeÃ¯to's sister Lola in retaliation; LeÃ¯to is able to rescue her and take Taha to the police station, but the police arrest LeÃ¯to and let Taha leave with Lola, stating that they're leaving the district.
Six months later, in Paris, Damienâan undercover copâcompletes a successful operation at a casino, and is immediately given a new assignment: Taha's gang has taken a bomb from a nuclear transport vehicle and accidentally activated it, giving it 24 hours before it wipes out the district. Damien, posing as a prisoner, must infiltrate the district and disarm the bomb; he teams up with LeÃ¯to to do so. LeÃ¯to immediately sees through Damien's cover, but the two reluctantly team up to save LeÃ¯to's sister as well. The pair surrenders to Taha in order to gain access to his base, where they find the bomb has been set up on a missile launcher aimed at Paris, with Lola handcuffed to it. Taha demands a high ransom to deactivate the bomb; the government refuses, but after Damien gives them Taha's bank account codes, they drain his funds. Damien and LeÃ¯to escape, while Taha is killed by his own men when they realize he will be unable to pay them. The much more benevolent K2 takes over and allows Damien and LeÃ¯to to stop the bomb.
After fighting their way to the building, Damien calls his contact to receive the deactivation code, but after recognizing certain symbols in the code, LeÃ¯to deduces that the government has set them up and the code will actually detonate the bomb instead of deactivating it. After Damien and LeÃ¯to fight, Lola is able to restrain Damien long enough for the timer on the bomb to run out. The bomb does not explode, proving LeÃ¯to right. The pair return to the government building with the bomb and use it to force the government agent to admit that he had planned to blow up B13 as a means to get rid of it, catching it on camera and broadcasting it on national TV. Soon the rest of the government promises to tear down the containment wall and bring back schools and police to B13. LeÃ¯to and Damien depart as friends, and Lola kisses Damien to encourage him to visit B13 in the future.
Who is the leader of the gang?
Taha