Illegal associations protect coral smuggling barons east of Algeria

Local authorities of El Kala locality, east of Algeria, said there are associations that help coral trade mafia through protecting them from the navy forces during last years, particularly after government imposed strict measures on the marine trade.

•  Marine authorities, gendarmerie and borders guards of Ettaref locality, east of Algeria, adopted new working plans in order to limit coral smuggling activity and arrest coral smugglers. 
• Administrative and security reports there said that many local associations, described as non representative or illegal, were founded and supported by barons of coral smuggling, who managed to hire university graduates in order to help them “protect marine animals of the region”, while there activity protected coral mafia.
• Since 2001, the date of decree about banning the coral trade in Ettaref coast, barons of coral smuggling begun a war against the security authorities and brought yachts in order to hire unemployed young people in fishing huge quantities of coral and smuggle them across the borders.
• Coral smugglers tried to smuggle about seven tons of coral since 2001, but they failed thanks to Algerian gendarmerie and border guards.
• Coral smuggling activity noticed a decline that’s why the “jet ski” and yachts mafia decided either stop its activity or go to other localities where they can sell their products.