MENA Anti-Crime Initiative: Fugitive Mastermind, Murderer Caught in Algeria

An extensive three-week transnational border security operation, coordinated by INTERPOL across five countries in the Middle East and North Africa, has resulted in 48 arrests. Among those apprehended were nine individuals wanted internationally, including two high-profile fugitives successfully detained by Algerian authorities. The operation, codenamed Phoenix, formed a key part of Project Momentum-MENA, an INTERPOL initiative backed by the European Union to enhance regional law enforcement capacities and deploy women police officers.

In a notable success for Algerian security forces, the suspected mastermind behind a 2022 shooting in Toulouse, France, was arrested at Houari Bou Madian International Airport in Algiers. This individual had previously escaped prison while serving an eight-year sentence for drug trafficking, criminal conspiracy, and weapons possession. Additionally, a second prison escapee, wanted by French authorities and convicted for murder with a 15-year jail term, was apprehended at a land crossing on the Algeria-Tunisia border, further showcasing Algeria's robust border security capabilities.

Operation Phoenix marked the first cross-MENA initiative where female police officers assumed full operational responsibility, from initial document checks and interviews at border points to leadership roles and coordinating international cooperation. INTERPOL's Director of Counter-Terrorism, María Carmen Muñoz González, affirmed that the arrest of nine internationally wanted individuals, including convicted criminals, demonstrates the effectiveness of international police cooperation at sensitive border crossings, crediting the female officers for the successful outcomes.