Algeria: 11 tons of drugs worth 108 billion centimes seized in 6 months

The Gendarmerie forces seized about 11 tons of drugs in the last six months of 2008. Most from them were smuggled from Morocco through the west southern borders in Bechar.

• Sources working on this file said that it is a “record number” compared to precedent years.
• Sources available at Echorouk from the liaison cell at the National Gendarmerie said that they seized 1.802 kg of drugs between January and June at a value equivalent to 108 billion centimes.
• On the other hand, the number of smuggling cases that were addressed during this period acceded 1,704.
• The biggest amount was seized in Bechar province (south of Algeria) and 4 tones were seized in Tlemcen, in addition to opium fields cultivation in an area of 31 hectares in Adrar in last 3 months, compared to 2,510 cannabis plants seized in the same province.
• A gendarmerie official said “there was a need to a security plan to cover all the borders”.