Un réseau de prostitution démantelé à Béjaïa – Le Jeune Indépendant

A network specializing in prostitution was dismantled last week in the locality of Baccaro, commune of Tichy. “Ten people, including eight women aged between 21 and 43, natives of several wilayas of the country, were arrested for offending morals,” indicated the communication cell of the wilaya security in a press release.

“The suspects were arrested following the search of several apartments and bungalows located in many districts of the coastal city of Tichy, including the EPLF housing estate in the locality of Baccaro,” said the same source, stressing that “this police raid delighted the residents, who expressed their discontent with this phenomenon.”

According to the same source, “the operation was carried out by the research and intervention brigade (BRI) as well as the criminal brigade.”

The arrest of the individuals was crowned by the seizure of several boxes of condoms, psychotropic tablets and a sum of 59 million centimes, representing the profits acquired from acts of prostitution. At least 17 people were arrested during this police action. The accused were transferred to the police station to be questioned as part of the investigation.

Legal proceedings were then initiated against the accused for, among other things, “creating a place of debauchery, practicing prostitution, violating morality, distributing the profits from acts of prostitution, protecting prostitutes and failing to provide proof of income”. The accused were brought before the court of Béjaïa and were summoned to appear immediately. Two women were sentenced to 2 years in prison and a fine of 100,000 DA, while the rest of the people were sentenced to two years in prison and a fine of 50,000 DA.

In addition, several thefts have been recorded since the beginning of the current month of July in Béjaïa. An employee of a store located in the Béjaïa business zone was arrested by elements of the 5th urban security of Béjaïa. Aged 32 and employed for only two months in this store, the accused stole from the store’s cash register a sum of money estimated at 22 million centimes.
“The police were alerted the same evening by the owner who noticed the disappearance of the sum and other small sums before,” noted the communication unit of the wilaya security, specifying that the stolen sum was found in the individual’s backpack. He was immediately arrested and presented for immediate appearance. He was sentenced to a one-year prison sentence and a fine of 100,000 DA.

Two other individuals aged 17 and 20 were also arrested by the elements of the 5th Urban Security for pickpocketing mobile phones in isolated places, using a motorcycle to quickly leave the place. The two individuals, who have already committed several crimes before, were caught red-handed assaulting an elderly person, in an isolated place in the city. They were trying to forcibly snatch her mobile phone.

The case was reported to the courts, which sentenced the main accused to one year in prison while his accomplice, who is a minor, was placed in detention in Akbou prison. A few days before, a criminal association composed of 6 individuals was also dismantled by elements of the 6th urban security of Béjaïa in Tizi, commune of Béjaïa. According to the wilaya security, “the police were alerted by the neighbor of an immigrant. The house was burgled under cover of darkness by two individuals who used a rope to scale the walls and enter, before taking sums of money in euros and dinars, jewelry and a hunting rifle.”

Investigations were carried out by the judicial police, who managed to identify the perpetrators of the crime, one of whom is the victim’s neighbor, who left the national territory the day after his act. There was then the arrest of four other criminals involved in this case, including one of his neighbors. “The latter spent his share of the stolen sum by buying a motorcycle and registering it in the name of one of his friends to avert suspicion on him, since he is a neighbor of the victim,” the same source stressed.

Investigators managed to recover the stolen items, including the rifle and the motorcycle that was sold by the main accused to one of his acquaintances. Brought before the courts for “criminal association, burglary, malicious act, participation and failure to report a crime”, two individuals were imprisoned, another was placed under judicial supervision and two others were summoned to appear in court, while the main accused, who is still on the run, is wanted as part of the investigation.

N. Bensalem