Oran police dismantle international human trafficking network, 23 arrested including 18 Moroccans

The operation led to the arrest of 23 individuals, including 18 Moroccan nationals, as confirmed by a statement from the General Directorate of National Security. Investigators precisely reconstructed the network's modus operandi, including gathering circuits, travel itineraries, and accommodation for candidates. Five individuals, identified as the masterminds, were initially apprehended.

Following these arrests, authorities located and searched an apartment used as a clandestine transit point, where the 18 Moroccan nationals were found, awaiting embarkation to European coasts. This type of transit apartment is characteristic of organized smuggling networks. Oran, due to its geographical position on Algeria's western Mediterranean coast, is frequently a hub for such activities.

A similar network, also involving a majority of Moroccan nationals using Algerian territory as a transit corridor to Europe, was tried in February 2026. Material seized during the operation included 1,600 euros in foreign currency, 240 Moroccan dirhams, 22,500 Algerian dinars in cash, and four vehicles used by the network. All 23 suspects were brought before the public prosecutor at the Fellaoucene court.