Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune took charge of the case of the teenager hidden in the landing gear of a flight to Paris-Orly. At the same time, the investigation into this crazy escape led to the arrest of around ten police officers accused of conspiracy.
He was the boss of one of the most influential institutions of the Algerian regime. The director general of the police, Farid Bencheikh, has just been dismissed in favor of the former director of the border police (PAF), Ali Badaoui, immediately installed in his position on Monday, January 8.
At the origin of this affair, a young Algerian illegal alien arrived in severe hypothermia on December 28 on the tarmac of Paris-Orly, after having entered the Oran airport, then into the landing gear of an Air Algérie plane. His escape captivated public opinion and at the same time alerted the authorities to the security flaws that made it possible, all the way to the top of the state.
Officers arrested
The investigation demanded by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune at the General Directorate of Internal Security (DGSI) did not drag on, concluding in the involvement of several officers occupying key positions. In all, around ten police officers working at the airport, as well as a mechanic from the national company, were placed in pre-trial detention on January 7, notably for endangering the lives of others. Among them, were two commissioners, one head of the second brigade of the PAF, and the other in charge of airport security.
It is very difficult to survive inside a landing gear, a technical compartment that is used to house the wheels of a plane after takeoff. The temperature can drop to -50°C, and between 10,000 and 11,000 meters above sea level, the air becomes considerably rarer. Miraculously, Mehdi F., undocumented between 20 and 30 years old, was transferred to Créteil Hospital (Val-de-Marne), where the gendarmerie also opened an investigation.
Farid Bencheikh had been in office since March 2021. Under his leadership, at least three “Harraga” – the name given to illegal migrants – managed to infiltrate aboard a flight to Europe. In March 2022, a 16-year-old boy managed to reach Paris safely by slipping into the hold of a plane. Not everyone was so lucky. In June 2022, the lifeless bodies of two young Algerians were discovered on a shuttle between Algiers and Barcelona.
Internal power struggle
It is possible, however, that other aspects came into play to explain the dismissal of this eminent criminologist, while President Abdelmadjid Tebboune must confirm shortly that he will indeed seek a second term, during the election scheduled for next December, but which could be anticipated as early as April. Compared to others, his time as the head of the Directorate General of National Security (DGSN) lasted: the institution had four bosses before him in less than three years.
The choice of the new general director Ali Badaoui to replace him does not fail to surprise. As director of the border police, he could have been the first sanctioned in the Air Algérie clandestine affair. Many observers prefer to believe in yet another power quarrel between the different decision-making centers of the regime. Ali Badaoui had reached the rank of inspector general in 2022, the highest in the police. Formerly of the Special Intervention Group (GIS), he is known for his time at the Intelligence and Security Department (DRS) during the time of the very influential Major General Toufik Mediene.
