Algeria lost $2 b on Nokia cell phones’ smuggling case

Algiers-Court of Hussein Dey postponed here on Wednesday consideration of the case of smuggling mobile phones for “Nokia” company to Algeria with 11 forged certifications since four years ago.

An Egyptian “H.A” General Manager of Raya Company for Distributing Mobile phones, in provisional detention since last summer, appears before the court, accompanied by the Director of Supply “Logistic” in Raya and Nokia representatives in Algeria “A.B.M”, “S.S” and “B.Y”, as well as Sat Telecom managers “K.M”, “Y.D” and “L.N” a company belonging to Nokia. Another manger “H.A” of “Miriam Telecom” remains in escape. The authority of Algeria Communications was present as a civil part along with Customs administration.

The case against those traffickers started early last May, as the Chief Inspector of Customs called “M.C” was informed that the company Raya Algeria had imported Nokia mobile phones without obtaining approval certificates from the authorities of control and telecommunications. He investigated on the company’s import files and found that the certificates are just certified copies, which forced him to ask the company to provide the official documents of assets, at the same time he notified the regional services of the judicial police of Algiers.

During the investigations, the General Manager of Supply “Logistic” at Raya Company “M.D”, offered a bribe to the Chief Inspector of Customs and intended to meet him another time; however, he was arrested.Upon his arrest, he said that Raya’s GM “H.A” is the one who falsified documents in order to import 50.000 Nokia mobiles with a sum of $2 million.“Raya’s GM asked me to negotiate with the Chief Inspector of Customs and offer a bribe to help us take out goods that were seized by customs cervices”, he added.

After investigations, security services found that Miriam Telecom do not have the right to distribute Nokia mobile phones in the Algerian market, however; Nokia’s representative in Algeria helped traffickers to import Nokia cell phones from “Assadaf Al Fidi” (Seashell Silver) trade company in Dubai and “Next Phone” managed by “K.A” without having the right to distribute Nokia cell phones.