38 prosecuted for arms trade with GSPC through ransom

A criminal court in Algeria Thursday postponed a case of the biggest arms deals from Morocco to the strongholds of the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC) in the north.

• A total of 38 suspects are prosecuted for arms and ammunition trade, belonging to a terror group, supplying terrorists and not denouncing them. Of them, 28 are arrested and the rest are temporarily free, on the run or were killed by security forces.
• The case file indicates that a large part of money used in arms trade came from riches kidnapping. Terrorist Zouhir Harek alias Sofiane Abu Heidara who was killed in 2007 was the main coordinator of the kidnappings. He asked the kidnapped people’s families for ransom in return for their release.