How Did “Oussama Escobar” Plot with the Makhzen Regime to Flood Algeria with Tons of Drugs?
The Criminal Court of the Algiers Judicial Council will open on February 2, 2026, the most serious case of drug trafficking from Morocco to Libya via the Algerian Sahara.
The case involves the notorious “Oussama Escobar,” one of the most prominent cannabis barons, who escaped from prison in 2016 disguised as a lawyer before being recaptured, along with 10 other defendants operating within an international drug import and export network.
The defendants will stand trial before the Criminal Court on serious charges related to forming and leading a criminal gang, offering, selling, and possessing narcotics for sale, purchasing, storing, distributing, delivering, shipping, transporting, recovering, and exporting them, and managing, organising, and financing their activities as part of an organised criminal group. They are also charged with forgery and use of forged documents, identity theft, and money laundering, possession with intent to traffic illicitly, their involvement in arranging shipments and smuggling of drugs from the country’s western borders through the southern provinces to Libya, tampering with the structures of vehicles and trucks used for transporting fruits and vegetables to create metal compartments for concealing drugs during transport, and forging vehicle documents to deceive police at security checkpoints. They were apprehended during their last operation to transport a 6000 Kg shipment to Libya.
The case began with information received by the judicial police regarding a drug smuggling network operating from Morocco to Libya via the Algerian Sahara, starting in Oran, then Chlef (western Algeria) and Ghardaia (southern Algeria), and reaching the southernmost provinces.
Following surveillance of the network members, investigators apprehended a man named “R.A.” in a car at a security checkpoint in the Mascara region (western Algeria). A truck accompanying the car was also stopped, and 6000 Kg of drugs were found hidden among a quantity of fruits and vegetables. The truck was driven by a man named “Oussama H.,” known as “Escobar.” The investigation revealed that the suspect was clearing the way to facilitate the smuggling operation.
During the security investigation, the suspect, identified as “A.H.,” acknowledged his involvement in a dangerous network. Following his interrogation, several individuals travelling in a vehicle from Blida (western Algiers) on a special mission westward were apprehended at a security checkpoint in Djelfa (southern Algeria). Security investigations revealed that the suspects used residences and car parks in Oran (western Algeria) to store and conceal drugs before shipping them.
The investigation also revealed that “Escobar” was responsible for coordinating the preparation of trucks with forged documents, assigning drivers for this purpose, and rotating roles to distract security forces. Utility vehicles were used to clear the way into the desert before their plan was foiled in their last deal involving a massive quantity of 6000 Kg of drugs.
Furthermore, the accused admitted that they had previously concluded several deals and transported shipments of similar quantities of processed cannabis, which were stored in houses for DZD 411220,71 (35 million centimes), before being transported towards Libya for a commission of up to DZD 3 million per shipment. Raids on the suspects’ houses resulted in the seizure of sums of money in hard and local currencies, various bladed weapons and ammunition, the seizure of SIM cards for national and international communication networks, and special welding tools used to make compartments and cavities inside cars and vehicles during drug shipments, as well as the recovery of luxury cars of various brands.
