Meet Pepe Le Moko, a master thief who fled his native France with a treasure trove of gems. For two years now he has lived in the infamous Casbah section of Algiers, ruling its tangled streets with avarice and cunning. The government wants him taken out of circulation but the canny Inspector Slimane is willing to play a waiting game. Pepe is reminded of the free spaces of his native land when a stunning Parisienne named Gaby turns his world upside down and brings down the wrath of his Algerian mistress, Ines.