Over 25.000 Algerians Were Involved In Drug Trafficking, Consumption In 2017

The annual report of the National Office of Combating Drug Addiction warned of the high quantities of Moroccan drugs that are smuggled across the Algerian border.

In the language of the figures, the report revealed that the various security services seized more than 52 tons of cannabis in Algeria, of which about 79% in the west of the country, which is equivalent to 41 tons that were seized in the border with Morocco and 3,000 bushes of cannabis in 2017.

The report that was issued on the basis of the results of the anti-drug services of the “army, police, gendarmerie and customs”, which copy is available to Echorouk, explained that the total number of 52.609 kg of cannabis was seized in 2017 in Algeria, of which 87.78% were seized in the West.

According to the report, the amount of seized cannabis in 2017 noticed a decline by 77.51% compared to 2016, as a result of the enhanced security at the border level.

“50.17% of the reserved quantities were recorded in the south of the country, 94.1% in the east and only 69.1% percent in the central areas of the country”.

In detail, the National Gendarmerie seized 80% of drugs in its territory of jurisdiction, according to the Director of Public Security at the National Gendarmerie, and more than 39 tons of processed cannabis and more than 3,000 cannabis plants, and arrested 6650 persons during the year 2017, while the national security services seized about 7 tons of cannabis, in the same period.

According to the army, over 48 tons and 678 kg of processed cannabis were seized during 2017, with the arrest of 549 traffickers and drug smugglers, which confirms that Algeria became a main crossing center and a cargo area for trafficking not only in Moroccan cannabis but also in hard drugs like Cocaine and hallucinogenics, especially ecstasy.

The office’s figures indicate that more than 1,200 tons of drugs were seized over the past 10 years, from 2003 to 2017.

Quantity of cannabis that was seized in Algeria “doubled 20 times since 2003, but represents only one-third of the quantity that was smuggled to other countries”.

As for the persons who are involved in smuggling drugs, the same body reported that more than 25,000 people were involved in consumption, promotion and drug trafficking cases in 2017.