Libyans go to jail for smuggling war weapons to Algeria

A criminal court in Illizi Sunday sentenced three Libyans to 3 years in prison for importing and transporting arms and ammunition without licence.

Earlier in January 2012, the National Popular Army arrested three Libyans on a land rover on borders between the province of Illizi and Libya.

They had two Kalashnikovs, a gun machine and ammunition.

The suspects told investigators a Libyan armed group forced them to smuggle weapons to Algeria. Then, they said they received the arms from a Libyan policeman called Aissa to sell them in Algeria.

The car driver said he entered the Algerian soil by mistake as he did not realize that he was in Algeria until he saw Algerian army cars.

A suspect said the group wanted to sell the weapons in Algeria while they contacted their family in southern Algeria from time to time.

Attorney General said contradiction between the suspects’ statements show they are involved.