Sifi Ghrieb Urges Tougher Action to Dismantle Drug Trafficking Networks and Strengthen Algeria’s Anti-Narcotics Strategy
By Dr. Hana Saada
ALGIERS – Algerian Prime Minister Sifi Ghrieb on Saturday called for intensified national and international efforts to dismantle drug trafficking networks, describing narcotics and psychotropic substances as a multidimensional threat extending beyond public health to national security, social cohesion, and economic stability.
Speaking at the opening of a conference marking the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, held under the High Patronage of President Abdelmadjid Tebboune at the Abdelatif Rahal International Conference Centre in Algiers, Ghrieb said Algeria’s response to organised drug crime requires a comprehensive strategy combining prevention, public awareness, legislative reform and strengthened law enforcement.
The Prime Minister said the meeting provided an opportunity to review the first year of implementation of Algeria’s national anti-drug strategy while assessing ways to reinforce coordination among public institutions, security services, judicial authorities and experts studying the causes and societal consequences of narcotics trafficking.
He stressed that combating the phenomenon requires a balanced approach that integrates awareness campaigns and prevention measures with firm judicial and security action targeting criminal organisations involved in drug trafficking.
“Drug trafficking is a transnational scourge that fractures societies, threatens the stability of states and undermines even the most resilient economies,” Ghrieb said, adding that President Tebboune has instructed public authorities to intensify efforts against narcotics networks and develop increasingly sophisticated mechanisms to confront the evolving threat.
The Prime Minister highlighted ongoing reforms aimed at adapting Algeria’s legal framework to the changing methods employed by organised criminal groups while ensuring compliance with international conventions and treaties ratified by the country.
He also outlined the main priorities of Algeria’s 2025-2029 National Plan to Combat Drug and Psychotropic Substance Consumption and Trafficking, which seeks to mobilise public institutions, civil society organisations, educational establishments, healthcare professionals and security agencies in a coordinated national response.
“We must dry up the sources of drug trafficking and psychotropic substances and eradicate their roots,” Ghrieb said.
According to the Prime Minister, Algeria has adopted a doctrine that no longer treats drug trafficking as an ordinary criminal offence but rather as a direct threat to national security, social cohesion and the country’s strategic resources.
He said this approach has enabled the authorities to establish an integrated legislative framework designed to respond to increasingly sophisticated criminal networks while placing the protection of citizens and society at the centre of national policy.
Ghrieb noted that recent legal reforms include tougher penalties for traffickers involved in hard drugs as well as individuals who commit crimes while under the influence of narcotics or psychotropic substances.
He added that official statistics demonstrate a close relationship between drug trafficking and other forms of organised crime, including terrorism, arms trafficking and human trafficking, underscoring the need for closer coordination among security services, judicial institutions and specialised agencies at both national and international levels.
The Prime Minister reaffirmed Algeria’s active participation in United Nations and regional mechanisms dedicated to combating organised crime and illicit drug trafficking, saying the country continues to contribute to the exchange of expertise, the strengthening of international cooperation and the development of coordinated initiatives aimed at addressing the growing challenges posed by narcotics and psychotropic substances.
He concluded by reiterating Algeria’s commitment to implementing international conventions and legal instruments governing the fight against organised crime and transnational drug trafficking while continuing to strengthen partnerships designed to confront the evolving threat.
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