The Sharaga Court delivered verdicts on Tuesday against seven individuals involved in a criminal network that targeted ride-share drivers. The gang was found guilty of luring drivers through online applications, assaulting them, and stealing their vehicles.
The primary defendants received sentences of five years in prison and fines of 200,000 Algerian dinars. Three of the main perpetrators are currently in pre-trial detention, and arrest warrants have been issued for those still at large.
One female defendant, identified as H. Hanan, was sentenced to three years in prison and fined 100,000 dinars for her role in luring the victim on the night of the incident. All defendants are jointly liable for a civil compensation payment of one million dinars to the victim for damages incurred.
The case originated from a report filed with the National Gendarmerie in Ouled Fayet. A driver using ride-sharing apps reported a violent assault after being lured by a female requesting a late-night ride. Investigations revealed that the victim traveled from downtown Algiers to Ouled Fayet around 11:30 PM. Upon arrival, the driver was ambushed by a gang who assaulted him with bladed weapons before stealing his car and fleeing the scene.
Subsequent investigations led to the arrest of five suspects, while others remain at large. Authorities discovered that the network routinely lured drivers operating through ride-hailing apps to secluded locations at night, where they were attacked and robbed of their vehicles.
The victim in this case, a judicial clerk supplementing his income by driving for the Yassir ride-sharing app, testified that he accepted a ride request from Didouche Mourad Street in Algiers to Ouled Fayet before being assaulted and robbed. The stolen vehicle was later recovered in Bouira.
The defendants facing charges include M. Aamer, Z. Oussama, S. Resim, B. Fares, and H. Sohaib, in addition to the female defendant M. Hanan. They were charged with forming a criminal association for the purpose of committing aggravated robbery, including the circumstances of night and multiple offenders, and the use of visible weapons, in addition to intentional assault and battery.
During the trial, C. Hanan denied involvement, claiming a relationship with one of the defendants who asked her to travel from Didouche Mourad to Ouled Fayet to meet him. The court, however, found sufficient evidence to convict her. The investigation continues to locate the remaining suspects.
