160 billion from illegal drug trade in old lady’s account

A six-month-investigation led to catch 10 persons from the same family involved in laundering money from illegal drug trade incomes estimated at more than 160 billion centimes, provincial police chief in Ain Timouchent (west of Algeria) said on Wednesday.

“The money was spent to buy expensive real-estates and luxury cars in different provinces south of Algeria,” Madani Naar told a news conference.

“Investigators found out 10 Turkish baths and villas worth 4 billion centimes each in Ain Timouchent, more than 400-hectare-lands in Beni saf, 7 real-estates in Oran, 4 real-estates in Naama, 8 German 4X4 cars worth more than 300 million centimes each. Three commercial registers were seized and 30,000 DZ were found in an old lady’s account,” he added.

The investigation started with the arrest of a drug baron named Mohsin in September. He registered real-estates and cars under the name of three of his relatives including his little brother and a 72-year-old woman.

According to the provincial police chief, most of the seized drugs on Algerian-Moroccan borders were under the baron and his brothers’ control. “A total of 50% of 120 tons of drugs were seized thanks to national security forces. The baron was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Five members of the suspicious family are under judicial surveillance. Two others are arrested and two suspects are still on the run.”