Mafia Of Illegal Exploration Drains The Algerian Desert’s Gold
Echoroukonline
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The results of the People’s National Army units revealed a record high activity in the exploration and illegal search for gold in the Algerian desert during the last 5 years, and that the investigations carried out by the judicial police revealed the existence of international cells operating in 12 special cities of the south of the country, specialized in selling American-made exploration equipment for gold with a sum of more than DZD 4 million.
According to Echorouk’s information, the security services prepared a detailed report on this phenomenon after the annual outcome of 2020, where the various units and detachments of the People’s National Army managed to arrest 4755 smugglers and gold prospectors and seize 2376 pressure hammers, 3460 generators and 186 metal detectors, and it was also found that the activity of these networks increased continuously from year to year since 2015.
In this context, Echorouk sources explained that the Supreme Command of the People’s National Army issued strict orders to its various units, with the necessity to tighten the screws on the “mafia” of exploration and smuggling of Algerian gold by imposing guarding on five main sites in the south and the far south, and the matter is related to Al Manea, Tamanrasset, Djanet and Adrar, after the mafia and gangs searching for gold turned the desert into something like “Eldorado”, through campaigns for depleting national energies.
In addition, investigations showed that a remote and deserted mountainous region in the far south of Algeria located on the border with Niger, which is the Hassi Tiririne region, has become a destination for thousands of Algerians and African gold prospectors, as it has been revealed that there are international cells specialized in selling gold prospecting devices to smugglers from African nationalities specializing in the illegal exploration of Algerian gold, with amounts exceeding DZD 4 million, and this is in coordination with Algerian merchants specialized in importing electronic products, as these devices are entered into Algeria through the land borders before they are sold through mediation, or through websites, which are under investigation by the cybercrime services.
