This is how “Mafia” of vehicles swindled the youth of “Ansej” in several provinces

The criminal Court of Algiers on Monday opened a serious case involving the nefarious activities of a criminal network that managed to defraud a group of people, including those having contracts with the support of the National Agency for Youth Employment (ANSEJ) by eventually stripping them all together of their utilitarian vehicles.

After viewing the offers on a website meant for sale, the defrauders got into contact with the vehicles’ owners to conclude so-called contracts using a lost ID card, by paying money ranging from 8 to 20 million centimes per month to the victims in return for the rental of their vehicles which were seized later on.

The network’s activities spread across several provinces of Algeria, including the capital Algiers, Blida, Tizi Ouzou, Bordj Bou Arreridj, Ghardaïa and Ouargla, and after a period of investigation and surveillance of the suspects, the relevant security services secured a message from the victims and exploited the identity address used to falsify the documents included in the files.

On Monday, the Court’s Judge heard three of the four defendants, with one of them being still at large and they confessed all their misdeeds. 

A 23-year-old accused affirmed before the Court he was a construction assistant and that had been forcefully exploited by the ring-leader of the defrauding network.

He said the latter ordered him to move to the place of residence of victims for the conclusion of contracts for rent of their vehicles, in return for a financial amount of 5 million centimes (DA) for each swindling operation, the first of which was carried out in the province of Tizi Ouzou (eastern Algeria).

In addition, on Monday, a number of victims, who testified during the Court’s hearing told the Judge that they had been swindled by members of the gang, stressing that this bleak situation might undermine their right to insurance, as well as spawn debt-related problems with banks and asked as a result for damages.