Bejaia, Algeria – Algerian authorities have successfully intercepted a massive shipment of ecstasy pills originating from France, preventing a large quantity of the illicit drug from entering the country.
According to a joint statement released by border police and customs officials at the port of Bejaia, a coordinated operation led to the seizure of over 700,000 ecstasy tablets. The shipment, weighing approximately 320 kilograms, had been transported by sea from a French port earlier in the week.
The drugs were discovered using a joint police-customs scanner at the Bejaia port. They were concealed within specially constructed hidden compartments in three passenger vehicles arriving from France. Three individuals, two women and one man, were arrested in connection with the smuggling attempt.
Subsequent investigations conducted by law enforcement officials in Bejaia, Algiers, and Setif led to the dismantling of the criminal network involved in the operation. A total of seventeen individuals, including one woman, have been arrested. Authorities also seized eighteen vehicles of various types, approximately 202 million Algerian dinars, 2,980 euros, sensitive equipment, three firearms, and a collection of counterfeit stamps and seals.
The identities of other members of this international criminal network, both within and outside of Algeria, have been established. Those arrested have been presented before the Public Prosecutor at the Specialized Penal Pole of the Sidi M’hamed Court in Algiers. DZWatch will continue to follow this developing story.
