“Fake News” About Drugs On Shipment Of Fruits And Vegetables From Algeria To Canada

The Canadian Federal Police received a call on Saturday (July 14th) alleging that there was a “quantity of drugs” in a shipment of vegetables and fruits exported from Algeria to Montreal, Canada via Air Algerie Company, but after the three-day inspection it was found that the relevant shipment was intact and that the news was fake.
The fake news was obviously meant to scuttle the rising Algerian exports of vegetables and fruits to Canada.

“Echorouk” earlier reported that the Canadian Federal Police, known as GRC, had seized nearly two tons of vegetables and fruits exported from Algeria to Canada last July 14th, for an alleged presence of drugs concealed in that shipment.

“After the opening of the yellow melon seeds, they found melon seeds and only,” the GRC said, adding that the shipment had been inspected thoroughly for three days in a row.

The two-ton cargo, nearly half of which was damaged, had been held for straight three days at the airport, the GRC spokesman said.

According to the latter, “competitors” are likely to have contacted the Canadian Federal Police and made the false statement, possibly for market acquisition purposes, after they were upset by the recent hike of Algerian agricultural products notably exported vegetables, fruits and foodstuffs to Canada.

Bensalem Marwane Kamaruddin revealed that he had applied to the Canadian authorities through his Algerian lawyer, Guy Navatali, for further information and the exposing of the related party which had purported the fake drug-related news.

Expatriate Bensalem, who has retail stores in Canada for the sale of Algerian products, explains that in addition to this false report, the shipping services at Algiers airport refused to grant medical certificates for the export of peaches, apricots, cherries and plums of different colors.

But after the latter was received by the services of the Ministry of Agriculture, they informed him that there is a problem in the Algerian fruit core as it is banned from entering Canada for health reasons, and this on the instruction of the Canadian authorities.

For his part, Troudi Akram, the owner of the “Aidro Cid” export company, which sent Algerian vegetables and fruits to Canada, called on the authorities to facilitate the work of Algerian exporters and reduce bureaucratic procedures, especially in these circumstances where the Algerian authorities are striving to diversify exports outside hydrocarbons, with the aim of introducing more Algerian product across the world.

According to our sources, the authorities are urgently required to take measures to spur agricultural and food exports, especially towards Canada.

The first move to this effect is to set up a refrigerating room at Algiers International Airport, which does not now possess such an indispensable facility.