ALGIERS – Attempts to smuggle more than 18 quintals of cannabis into Algeria through the border with Morocco were thwarted in operations carried out by combined Army detachments and security services in the period of May 21-27, the People’s National Army said in a statement.
“As part of the sustained efforts against terrorism and multifaceted organized crime, units and detachments of the People’s National Army carried out, in the period of May 21-27, several operations with high-quality results showing the high professionalism, vigilance and permanent readiness of our armed forces nationwide,” the statement said.
In the fight against terrorism, Army detachments “arrested 10 terrorist supporters, in different operations across the country.”
In the fight against organized crime and “as part of the sustained efforts to counter the scourge of drug trafficking in our country,” combined detachments of the People’s National Army, in coordination with different security services, intercepted “45 drug traffickers and foiled attempts to smuggle (into Algeria) 18 quintals and 50 kilogrammes of cannabis from the border with Morocco, while 1400 grammes of cocaine and 114,188 psychotropic tablets were seized, in operations conducted in different military regions.”
In Tamanrasset, Bordj Badji Mokhtar, In-Salah, In-Guezzam and Djanet, Army detachments “arrested 87 individuals and seized 42 vehicles, 109 generator sets, 68 jackhammers, 12 metal detectors, quantities of raw gold, explosives, detonation devices and equipment used in illegal mining.”
In addition, “11 other individuals were arrested and two Kalashnikov submachine guns, nine hunting rifles, 20,720 litres of fuel, 66 quintals of tobacco, 83 tonnes of foodstuffs meant for smuggling and speculation were seized in different operations.”
Coast guards thwarted, off the country’s coasts, illegal migration attempts and rescued 157 individuals who were aboard makeshift boats, while 378 illegal immigrants of various nationalities were arrested in different parts of the country,” the statement concluded.
