Severe Sentences for Subsidized Milk Speculators in El Harrach

The El Harrach Court has handed down 7-year prison sentences to individuals involved in the illegal manipulation and speculation of state-subsidized milk. In addition to the prison terms, each defendant was fined 2 million Algerian dinars and ordered to pay compensation to the public treasury ranging from 200,000 to 500,000 dinars, with all confiscated goods being seized. The defendants faced multiple charges, including unlawful speculation, diverting subsidized milk to produce lben (traditional yogurt-like drink), transporting perishable goods in non-refrigerated vehicles, and operating without necessary health certifications or commercial registration. Judicial investigations uncovered that the group operated from unsanitary, secret warehouses to process the subsidized milk, posing a direct threat to consumer health.