Alcohol smuggling on the up in Algeria

Algeria’s National ‘Gendarmerie’ or urban police force, have recently doubled their sweeping and reconnaissance operations and increased the number of security barriers along the countries borders (from the east, west, and south) as the new year approaches where alcohol and drug trafficking increases in the country.  Smugglers and drug dealers look to this time of year to double their profits where demand for alcoholic drinks dramatically increase to celebrate the New Year. Gendarmeries were able to stop a trafficking operation of more than 33000 bottle of alcohol from Souk Ahras and Oum El Bouaghi, east of Algeria, and sent to several coastal cities, particularly Algiers and Annaba, according to confirmed information. Following data used by elements of Algerian national gendarmerie, they were able to confiscate a large amount of various imported alcoholic drinks, stored in one of the houses of one of the dealers in order to sell illegally afterwards. The amount exceeded 20000 imported bottles, and was confiscated in Souk Ahras close to the Tunisian border, based on information obtained by members of the regional division of the National Gendarmerie. Two persons were arrested boarding an official company truck, with 20400 bottles of beer and 3000 bottles of wine. The products turned out to be counterfeit. According to the communication network of the Algerian National Gendarmerie, statistics revealed several cases of contraband, and the confiscation of more than 10000 bottles of alcohol in one of the warehouses, with the confiscation of 30000 in two separate cases within this week. Statistics confirm the increase in the number of international trafficking networks, aimed at flooding Algeria with various contraband and counterfeit and dangerous products, which remain in high demand. Sweeping operations are therefore expected to increase over the next few weeks.