Customs’ crackdown on informal trade at ports and airports amid looming commodities’ price hikes

The national customs services have imposed strict procedures across all Algerian ports and airports and tightened control over informal trade through “trunks or bags” filled with imported products by clamping down an intensive surveillance on all passengers coming from abroad.

The customs’ aim is to seize the maximum quantities of goods and products imported illegally from overseas by some passengers, a situation that is upsetting the legal shop owners, who warn against possible steep high prices on the national market close to the Eid al-Fitr religious feast, marking the end of the holy month of fasting of Ramadhan slated for mid-June this year.

The custom’s ongoing crackdown will be enforced at all national ports and airports, and will specifically target travelers who used to return home from Paris, Marseille and Turkey, loaded with various kinds of imported commodities, meant to be sold as part of the so-called “trunk” or bag” illicit trade  across the national territory.

As a result, the customs ‘agents have been ordered to tighten the screws on these informal commodity dealers, by imposing a strict border control via scanners in addition to traditional inspection of all suspicious luggage coming from overseas at all the country’s ports and airports as part of efforts to safeguard the national economy.