An Official Is Implicated in Smuggling Drugs towards Tunisia and Libya

Investigative Judge of Oran Penal Pole (western Algeria) issued recently an arrest warrant against “H.Oussama”, who was born on May, 31, 1989 in Ouled Addi in M’sila, after he proved his involvement in the case of smuggling 39 quintals of drugs that were seized on August 17, 2014, in the area of Belassel in Relizane (western Algeria), inside a tanker of transporting fuel.

According to the developments of the investigation, the so-called “H.Ousama” who managed to escape last week from the punitive institution of El Harrache (Algiers), was active within a cross-border criminal cell that is active in drug smuggling from Morocco to Tunisia, Libya, through the national soil, as security services suspected his involvement in three drug smuggling operations that were seized by the regional groups of the National gendarmerie in each of Ouargla and El Oued (southern Algeria) on July and August 2014, and found that the criminal gangs, in which the baron is active, operate on a common axis that starts from Boussaâda to the very border points of Borma in Ouargla, and Rebbah and Taleb Arbi in El Oued.

Judicial sources that are familiar with the file told Echorouk that investigations proved the complicity of an official in an administrative body to pass 39 quintals of drugs and open the road, and found that he was in touch with the “wanted” baron on the incident’s day.

Telephone statements of the involved people showed that the suspected official was in Batna (eastern Algeria) then moved to Oran (western Algeria) on August 11, 2014, and then remained reluctant to Oran, Ain Temouchent, Sidi Bel Abbes, Mascara and Tlemcen until August, 24, as Echorouk learned  that he was arrested and transferred to the military Court of Oran for investigation.

Echorouk sources added that the accused “H. Osama” implicated a lady, 22, from M’sila in the case, where he met her in a pizzeria and presented himself as a spare parts vendor and active in livestock breeding, and then he gave her financial aid to pay a surgery for her daughter, as investigation proved that he had phone calls with her and another cleaner using the numbers of a military retiree and a teacher of sports.

Second regional leadership of the National Gendarmerie in Oran received information about a trailer-type Renault that was dragging a fuel tank which was carrying drugs, was accompanied by three cars for exploring the course and opening the way towards the capital (Algiers), and was stopped near a service station on August, 17, 2014 in the municipality of “Yellel” on the edge of the East-West highway, and seized 39 quintals of drugs that were on board in the form of 145 Packages.

The driver was arrested, while the inspection of the baron’s house resulted in retrieving 600 million centimes, a passport, a fiscal identification card and documents of announcement on an auction for State Property Directorate in Blida and Algiers, as investigation in the case is continuing while the main suspect is on the run and wanted after his escape on April, 23, from El Harrache prison.