Algeria : Seizure of 27.000 litres of smuggled edible oil in past 2 months

Elements of the National Gendarmerie announced having seized, between the beginning of the month of January and March 2008, over 27.000 litres of edible oil and about 59.000 tonnes of basic foodstuffs which were about to be smuggled across the eastern border of Algeria .

Elements of the National Gendarmerie announced having seized, between the beginning of the month of January and March 2008, over 27.000 litres of edible oil and about 59.000 tonnes of basic foodstuffs which were about to be smuggled across the eastern border of Algeria .

According to figures issued by the National Gendarmerie services, the smuggling activities increased by leaps and bounds this year compared with 2007 when 7524 litres of edible oil were seized.

In 2006, a total of 2340 litres of the same product were confiscated on the border with Tunisia .

Owing to the abrupt hike in the prices of staple commodities over the past few months on the Algerian market, smugglers have opted for contraband activities by funnel illegally huge quantities of all sorts of products from neighbouring  Tunisia into Algeria .

These smuggled products have often proved to be a health hazard for the citizens as they pass through the border without being subjected to any customs or health control in keeping with the set regulations.

Most of these nefarious products including foodstuffs, cosmetics and even pharmaceuticals are sold at a lower price with the buyers not aware of their origin or their proven reliability.