Algeria arrests 25, seizes 33 kg cocaine in drug bust

Algerian authorities have dismantled a significant international drug trafficking network, arresting 25 individuals and seizing substantial quantities of narcotics. The haul included 33 kilograms of cocaine and an astonishing 10 million psychotropic pills. The General Directorate of National Security announced the operation, which targeted a criminal structure operating across various western Algerian localities.

According to the statement, the network's illegal activities within Algeria were directed from Morocco. Furthermore, the management of illicit funds and the administration of profits were reportedly handled from Dubai and the United Arab Emirates, indicating a sophisticated, transnational criminal enterprise. These investigations into the band's activities commenced in January.

This bust follows a previous large-scale drug destruction by the Algerian army in June, where nearly 18,000 kilograms of various drugs, including 1,000 kilograms of cocaine and heroin, were incinerated. The estimated value of that seizure was approximately 50.5 billion Algerian dinars (about 333.28 million euros). To combat drug abuse, particularly among youth, Algeria adopted a law in July 2025 that imposes the death penalty for drug trafficking within educational, health, or public institutions.