The Criminal Court of the Algiers Judicial Council has issued its first death sentence under Law 03-25, dated July 1, 2025, which concerns the prevention of drugs and psychotropic substances and the suppression of their unlawful use and trafficking.
Nine defendants were sentenced in cases involving the trafficking of cocaine and pregabalin tablets. Three were sentenced in court, while the other six were sentenced in absentia. The cases involved 113 kilograms of cocaine and 225,030 pregabalin tablets.
The defendants faced charges of importing, transporting, shipping and storing hard drugs and psychotropic substances for sale as part of an organized criminal group, with the aim of threatening national security and disrupting public order and security. The charges also included smuggling, impersonation, illegal migration and residence, and money laundering.