La barre des 50 millions de psychotropes saisis franchie en 2025

The bar of 50 million psychotropic drugs seized crossed in 2025

An increase of 1000% compared to previous years

It is truly a tsunami of psychotropic drugs which is in the process of invading the national territory. The year 2025 has definitely broken all records in terms of seizure of psychotropic drugs. More than 50 million Pregabalin and Ecstasy tablets were officially seized this year. A feat achieved by the security services but, on the other hand, an invasion of psychotropic drugs which is sweeping the country, which targets the young Algerian population, which aims to reshape civil society and which, above all, affects national stability and security. Algeria is facing an unprecedented invasion of psychotropic drugs and the figures for psychoactive capsules seized during the year 2025 speak for themselves. More than 50 million psychotropic tablets were intercepted two months before the end of 2025, a record never reached before and an increase of 1000% compared to the number of seizures of psychotropic drugs during the year 2022. Very worrying.
A real unannounced war aimed at the stability of the country because, it must be remembered, psychotropic drugs are dangerous substances which act on the central nervous system, modifying the perception, mood, consciousness or other psychological and behavioral functions of consumers, young people, and the lack of psychotropic drugs can lead consumers into absolute horror as we have already experienced in numerous criminal cases. This is the very objective of the enemies of the Nation who want to succeed, at all costs, in destabilizing Algeria through the trafficking of psychotropic drugs.
Alongside the kingdom of cannabis (Morocco), the United Arab Emirates are behind this ambiguous war of psychotropic drugs against Algeria. The United Arab Emirates have resorted to the installation of clandestine workshops not far from the Algerian-Libyan borders, including the Algerian-Nigerian borders, to manufacture synthetic drugs and subsequently send them to Algerian territory, while granting this special “mission” to Libyan General Haftar who controls the financial windfall, even the income from major psychotropic drug trafficking. This obscure psychoactive war targeting Algeria is progressing every year. In 2021, the number of psychoactive capsules seized, according to the National Office for the Fight against Drugs and Drug Addiction (Onlcdt), did not exceed 5 million tablets, then in 2022, the number of seizures increased by 115% to reach 11 million psychotropic drugs seized, in 2025, we are already at more than 50 million psychotropic pills confiscated, an increase of 1000%.

Algerian Customs and hunting
to psychotropic drugs
Like every security institution, the Algerian Customs services have been up to the task in the face of the war on psychotropic drugs. During the first nine months of 2025, the General Directorate of Customs hit hard by seizing more than 16 million psychotropic tablets. A record never reached before, revealed the Customs services in a press release dated October 26, 2025. A highly worrying rebound in the trafficking of psychotropic drugs of almost 150% was noted in 2025 compared to 2024 and 1000% compared to the year 2022, noted the same services. According to the operational report of the General Directorate of Customs, in 2025, 313 cases linked to the trafficking of psychotropic drugs were processed and resolved by the Customs services allowing, adds the same source, the arrest of 523 traffickers. The same report from Algerian Customs speaks of more than 16 million psychotropic tablets seized during the period considered. Still according to the same report, a highly worrying rebound in the trafficking of psychotropic drugs at maritime, land and air borders was noted during 2025 compared to the same period of the previous year, 2024.
The rate has climbed to 149.2% between the last two years, calls into question the results of Algerian Customs. In figures, the report noted that the number of tablets seized during the first nine months of 2024 amounted to 6,534,476 psychotropic tablets, increasing to 16,281,455 tablets between January and September 2025. A dizzying increase which confirms that Algeria has become a major crossroads for the invasion of psychotropic drugs. Commenting on this performance achieved during the year 2025 against criminal networks trafficking in psychotropic drugs, the General Directorate of Customs stressed that the fruit of these results acquired on the ground reflect “an intensification of surveillance and targeting operations, particularly in border areas, logistics platforms and sensitive points in the country”. Algerian Customs stressed that the significant increase in the number of seizures is due to the effectiveness of analysis, monitoring and risk management systems, the strengthening of the operational capacities of customs teams and increased coordination with the various security services. In terms of geographical distribution, the largest quantities seized were recorded in the Great South of the country, in particular by the regional directorates of Ouargla (3.95 million tablets seized), Illizi (3.88 million), but also by the Customs Directorate of Sétif (1.92 million psychotropic tablets seized) and Chlef (1.82 million).
On the other hand, the largest Customs operation carried out against synthetic drug cartels dates back to June 2025, i.e. at the start of the summer season, when 400,000 Ecstasy tablets, coming from the Port of Marseille (France), were intercepted by elements of the divisional inspection at the Port of Algiers,

ANP forces strike hard
psychotropic drug cartels
With its numerous Military Regions, six in number, the Forces of the National People’s Army (ANP) participate greatly and extensively in the fight against trafficking and the presence of psychotropic drugs on Algerian soil. In 2024, the ANP seized a large quantity of psychotropic drug capsules coming from the Libyan, Malian, Moroccan and Nigerien borders, estimated at more than 25 million units. One year later, in 2025 and in the first half alone, the bar of 24 million psychotropic drugs has already been crossed, which both explains and denotes a clear increase in the trafficking of psychotropic drugs targeting Algeria, its security and its stability.
For the month of October 2025 alone, the various military detachments of the ANP intercepted more than 2.2 million psychotropic drug capsules, according to a report released by the Ministry of National Defense (MDN). This performance achieved by the ANP forces against drug cartels also made it possible to arrest more than 50 members of criminal networks during the period considered.
Since the start of 2025, more than 25 million psychotropic tablets have been apprehended by the ANP after numerous operations, ambushes and interventions carried out during the same period. The vast Algerian borders which run along several neighboring countries remain the essential access for criminal networks trafficking in psychotropic drugs, however the presence of the ANP Forces has made it possible to abort several attempts to introduce large quantities of psychotropic drugs. On March 11, 2025 and during a high-quality operation, more than 1.7 million psychotropic tablets of the ”Pregabalin 300 mg” type were seized by an ANP detachment reporting to the 4th Military Region (RM) in the In-Amenas region. Commenting on this great feat, the MDN declared that this operation “is part of the intense efforts to combat drug trafficking in the country”, while highlighting, once again, “the vigilance and full availability of the Armed Forces throughout the national territory” including the country’s borders.

The Scltis, the solid barrier
against psychotropic drugs
The Central Service for the fight against illicit drug trafficking (Scltis) under the General Directorate of National Security (Dgsn) no longer needs to be presented. Created only a few years ago, Scltis has already carried out high-quality operations against synthetic drug cartels. It has already seized more than 20 million psychotropic drugs during the year 2025.
In Laghouat, El-Oued, Ouargla, Algiers, Blida, Tlemcen, Oran, Annaba and in many other wilayas, the quality operations carried out by Scltis against criminal networks trafficking in psychotropic drugs have affected the four corners of the country. Just yesterday, Scltis investigators dismantled an organized criminal network, and seized 176,000 foreign-made “Prégabalin” psychotropic tablets, and arrested six (6) individuals, including the mastermind of the criminal group and a woman, operating within this network. In a press release dated November 8, the Dgsn indicated that the operation was carried out following intensive investigations “which allowed Scltis investigators to identify and arrest, initially, four (4) individuals members of this organized criminal network, in neighborhoods of the capital, before proceeding to the arrest of the main suspect in the company of a woman”, according to the press release. This operation resulted in “the seizure of the quantity of psychotropic drugs mentioned and the recovery of the truck used in its transport, 3 vehicles and 2 motorcycles”, adds the same source, specifying that “the accused were referred to the public prosecutor at the Koléa court”.
The war on psychotropic drugs has not weakened, on the contrary it is becoming even more beautiful because the determination of the security services is at its extreme.
Sofiane Abi