More than twenty-five thousand individuals arrested within ten months, over thirty-six million pregabalin pills seized in six months, and upwards of one ton of cocaine intercepted. These figures, presented Saturday in Algiers during a national symposium, highlight the extent of narcotics trafficking and exacerbate concerns surrounding driving under the influence, turning it into a paramount road safety issue.
These indicators were outlined during a national symposium focusing on the impacts of drug and psychotropic substance consumption on road safety, presided over jointly by Minister of Justice and Keeper of the Seals Lotfi Boudjemaa alongside National Gendarmerie Commander Major General Ali Sidane at the Army National Circle in Beni Messous, Algiers.
At the opening of deliberations, Boudjemaa declared that pursuant to directives from President of the Republic Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Algeria had chosen a “comprehensive and integrated” national strategy for preventing drug abuse and psychotropic substances spanning 2025–2029. Clarifying that it “does not settle for treating consequences of this phenomenon, but equally targets its root causes to eradicate its distribution networks, rings, and funding pipelines.” The minister further emphasized the necessity of a “unified and integrated national vision” intended to harmonize interventions by various stakeholders. This approach aims to guarantee “unity of objectives, complementary roles, and effective counter-responses,” according to him.
Drawing a balance sheet of the second year of implementing the National Strategy for the Prevention of Drugs and Psychotropic Substances 2025–2029, the Keeper of the Seals asserted that “this second year enabled dynamic and tangible institutional progress.” He cited stronger cross-sectoral coordination, intensified awareness and prevention campaigns, alongside the development of monitoring and tracking mechanisms.
Furthermore, during his address, the Keeper of the Seals underlined the severity of this issue, whose repercussions far exceed social and economic parameters. “This plague represents a growing threat that is not confined to social and economic harm, but extends to affect the core of national security and threaten state stability,” he warned. Confronted with this threat, he called for “pooling efforts, unifying stances, and reinforcing shared cooperation,” viewing this mobilization as “a collective duty and a strategic requirement that cannot be deferred.”
In this context, the minister commended the joint operational work undertaken between the National Office for the Suppression of Drugs and Drug Addiction (ONLCDT) and the National Gendarmerie Command, noting that this partnership illustrates the intersectoral alignment outlined within the national plan. He cautioned, however, that success depends upon sustained efforts and their translation into concrete actions, affirming that the strategy must become “an everyday field practice,” backed by permanent, coordinated institutional commitment and a social culture rejecting this scourge.
A Strict Legal Framework for Drivers
Addressing the link between substance abuse and traffic accidents, the Keeper of the Seals reiterated that road tragedies could no longer be treated as mere isolated events. “Traffic accidents now constitute a multifaceted national challenge,” he noted, citing significant human and material losses as well as their socio-economic fallout.
Emphasizing that “these consequences move beyond material damage to affect a nation’s most precious asset, human life,” he insisted that road safety had turned into “a public safety matter and a shared societal responsibility.” Continuing, he stressed that “this state of affairs commands greater mobilization from public authorities to decrease collisions, safeguard lives, and limit the broader impacts on society.”
On the legislative front, Boudjemaa recalled that establishing a robust legal framework capable of anticipating emerging crime variations and adapting to their evolution represents a main pillar of state response. Under this setup, Law No. 26-09 governing the Traffic Code includes provisions designed to structure road transit better and escalate criminal penalties for drivers causing accidents while under the influence of drugs or psychotropic substances. The minister specifically highlighted that “offenders cannot benefit from statutory mitigating circumstances in cases covered by these provisions.” This framework complements Law No. 25-03 regarding the prevention and suppression of illegal use and trafficking of narcotics and psychotropic substances. Its enforcement was accompanied by regulatory instruments intended to translate rules into operational field mechanisms.
On the ground, operations spearheaded by National Gendarmerie units delivered major results. Major General Ali Sidane announced the arrest of “25,218 individuals, including 5,264 remanded in custody, during the first ten months of 2026.” The interventions also enabled the dismantling of “186 illicit networks specializing in drug and psychotropic trafficking,” he detailed. The summary of seizures shared by the official includes nearly 11 tons of treated cannabis resin, 372.837 kilograms of cocaine, 4,162 cannabis plants, and 16.270 kilograms of raw cannabis. National Gendarmerie units additionally intercepted 13,665,710 pregabalin tablets, 59,937 ecstasy pills, and 1,879 tablets of other psychotropic substances. The variety of seized items and the magnitude of quantities demonstrate the expansive operations of trafficking rings. They equally highlight challenges facing security apparatuses tasked with dismantling supply, distribution, and marketing channels for these products.
Over One Ton of Cocaine Intercepted in Six Months
For his part, the Director General of the National Office for the Suppression of Drugs and Drug Addiction, Tarek Kour, presented key indicators from the national balance sheet for the first half of 2026. The disclosed data reflects particularly high volumes of intercepted substances, notably pregabalin. The official noted that “seizures of this substance surpassed 36 million psychotropic tablets,” explaining that this volume alone, within six months, exceeded total seizures recorded throughout the entire previous year. Cocaine also figures among substances where seizure totals reach alarming metrics. The official reported over 1,000 kilograms, or one ton of cocaine intercepted during the first half of 2026, representing “75 percent of overall seizures logged during the prior year,” he alerted.
The national report further indicates over 23 tons of cannabis resin and more than one million ecstasy pills seized over the same timeframe. Noting that “these metrics illustrate the magnitude of challenges authorities face, particularly concerning the circulation of items capable of impairing consumers’ physical and cognitive abilities.”
Given these indicators, the Office DG argued that counter-responses must center on upgrading testing tools and toxicological analysis capabilities. Emphasizing that “substance consumption revealed in recorded accidents demands expanding detection capabilities and toxicological analyses, along with improving documentation of field findings and test findings.”
Moving beyond network dismantling operations, the meeting placed significant focus on methods to detect psychoactive substance usage among drivers involved in traffic collisions. The neuropsychological impacts of these items—which impair vigilance, perception, reflexes, and motor coordination—present a direct hazard to road users’ lives.
Participants specifically evaluated screening techniques, toxicological tests, and practical hurdles encountered by field officers. Refining reporting procedures and ensuring the reliability of laboratory results rated high among items discussed, given their importance in establishing legal liability.
Organized by the ONLCDT in partnership with the National Gendarmerie Command, this symposium falls within the operational blueprint of the National Strategy Against Drugs and Psychotropic Substances 2025–2029. It brought together numerous institutional figures, including First President of the Supreme Court Tahar Mamouni, Secretary General of the Ministry of National Defence Major General Mohamed Salah Benbicha, and Director General of Customs Major General Abdelhafid Bakhouche, alongside sector representatives, scholars, and technical specialists.
Hosted under the theme “Road Safety Is Everyone’s Responsibility… No to Drugs… Together to Protect Road Users’ Lives,” the sessions allowed for addressing health, scientific, security, legal, and preventative dimensions of this challenge.
Following the conclusion of deliberations, actionable recommendations will be formulated to bolster institutional collaboration, upgrade screening equipment, and strengthen prevention protocols. The objective remains enhancing protection for road users against hazards tied to consuming narcotics and psychotropic substances.