Customs’ Control: This How A Young Man Failed to Smuggle 2.2 Million Euros Into Tunisia

On Tuesday, customs officials at the land border center in Batita, 130 kilometers south of Tebessa province (eastern Algeria) , thwarted an attempt to smuggle the largest financial amount into neighboring Tunisia since the opening of this border post, which is estimated at 2.2 Million Euros, the equivalent of about 50 Billion Centimes (DA) in the money exchange informal market.
Informed sources told “Echorouk” that the customs officials intercepted a 24-year old man when he arrived at about seven o’clock in the evening, on board a Hyundai car at the border post, and whose appearance did not suggest any suspicions, he appeared elegant and respectable, as he was eager to cross the border post without inspection, as many of the people of the region usually cross the border and return to the Algerian side on the same day.
However, his smuggling plan fizzled out when he was ordered by customs agents to go to the vehicle inspection area. Our sources said that the young man’s face had changed and he became angry in protest at the inspection, claiming that he was well known and that he was going to Tunisia to bring medicines to a relative there.
But the customs insisted on searching the “suspect’s car,” and the search operation resulted in the discovery of 2.2 Million Euros distributed into three parts hidden inside the vehicle in a tight way that was difficult to find.
The customs agents then arrested on the spot the driver who tried to shirk criminal responsibility, claiming that he was not aware of the existence of the funds. The authorities concerned, headed by the General Prosecutor then ordered the opening of an investigation into the case.
Immediately after being alerted, leaders of the customs corps arrived at the scene, led by the regional Director of the customs services. The seized money and the young defendant were swiftly transferred to the nearby town of Bir al-Atar under heavy security
According to Echorouk’s sources, other persons are liable to be arrested in connection with the unprecedented smuggling affair of this type, and it is still to be determined whether the arrested young man is the owner of the seized financial amount, or are there partners, or real owners of the smuggled money who use “recruits” to smuggle the hard currency abroad in exchange for a commission?
Anyway, the ongoing security services’ investigation will tell !