An international criminal network was recently dismantled thanks to effective coordination between the border police and the customs services of Houari Boumediene airport. This operation ended with the seizure of more than 85,000 Rivotril-type psychotropic tablets, hidden inside household appliances carried by a passenger on an international flight, said a press release from the General Directorate of National Security (DGSN) on Wednesday.
According to the same source, “the tablets, weighing more than 13 kg, were intercepted thanks to the vigilance of the customs and police authorities. Following the investigation carried out under the supervision of the competent prosecutor’s office, several members of this criminal network, active in different regions of the country (Algiers, Tizi Ouzou, Boumerdes), were arrested.”
The operation, it was specified, allowed not only to seize psychotropic drugs, but also to confiscate five vehicles and sums of money in dinars and foreign currencies.
The six suspects, aged 27 to 41, are being prosecuted for several serious offences, including the illegal importation and distribution of drugs within a transnational criminal organisation.
According to the DGSN, the accused were presented before the Sidi M’Hamed public prosecutor’s office on charges related to the illegal importation of dangerous substances, endangering public safety.
