Tlemcen, Ain Témouchent: Major Drug Trafficking Networks Dismantled—279 kg of Moroccan Cannabis Seized

✍️ BY: Dr. Hana Saada

In a major blow to transnational narcotics networks, Algerian police dismantled two organized criminal groups operating along the western border, seizing nearly 280 kilograms of processed cannabis originating from Morocco and arresting eight suspects under the supervision of judicial authorities.

Algiers, Algeria | May 11th, 2025 — In a decisive operation against cross-border drug trafficking, the operational units of the National Security—represented by the Regional Anti-Narcotics Department of Tlemcen and the Anti-Narcotics Unit of the Ain Témouchent Police Directorate—have successfully dismantled two organized criminal networks composed of eight individuals. The operations, conducted last week and announced this Sunday in a communiqué by the Directorate General of National Security (DGSN), resulted in the seizure of a substantial quantity of processed cannabis originating from Morocco, weighing a total of 279 kilograms and 350 grams.

The first operation was spearheaded by the Anti-Narcotics Unit of the Ain Témouchent Police Directorate. Following a meticulous surveillance operation targeting the movements of a suspected trafficker in one of the western border provinces, security forces were able to apprehend the individual along with an accomplice. The operation culminated in the confiscation of 165 kilograms of processed cannabis that had been smuggled across the border from Morocco.

The second high-impact operation, carried out by the Regional Anti-Narcotics Service in Tlemcen, followed extensive on-the-ground investigations. The officers uncovered and neutralized a well-organized drug trafficking plot orchestrated by another criminal network active along the western border strip, which sought to channel narcotics to several neighboring provinces. Through the deployment of a carefully crafted operational strategy, six suspects affiliated with this network were arrested, and an additional 114 kilograms and 350 grams of processed Moroccan cannabis were seized.

Both operations were conducted under the supervision of the competent judicial authorities and also led to the seizure of two vehicles used in the transportation of the narcotics.

The eight individuals arrested in connection with these two networks have been referred to the public prosecutors of the courts of Ain Témouchent and Ain Sefra. They face serious charges including the importation, possession, storage, transportation, and trafficking of illegal drugs as part of an organized criminal group, as well as involvement in highly dangerous smuggling activities that pose a grave threat to both national economic security and public health.

These operations underscore the unwavering determination of the Algerian security services to combat the flow of narcotics across its borders and to dismantle criminal organizations working in coordination with foreign networks—particularly those exploiting the western border with Morocco for illicit drug trafficking.

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