Algeria will convert a military barracks in the Tanezrouft desert, one of the world's most inhospitable regions, into a high-security prison for drug traffickers, the Algerian presidency announced Thursday.
Located in Algeria's extreme southwest, near the Mali border, Tanezrouft is a nearly uninhabited desert where temperatures can exceed 50°C in summer © Mena Today
Algeria will convert a military barracks in the Tanezrouft desert, one of the world's most inhospitable regions, into a high-security prison for drug traffickers, the Algerian presidency announced Thursday.
Located in Algeria's extreme southwest, near the Mali border, Tanezrouft is a nearly uninhabited desert where temperatures can exceed 50°C in summer. Nicknamed "the land of thirst," it is considered one of the most remote and hostile areas of the Sahara.
The decision was made during a meeting of the High Security Council chaired by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.
The future prison will be reserved for "drug lords and traffickers," according to a statement from the presidency, which provided no further details. Authorities also decided to create a specialized anti-drug security agency, modeled on similar bodies in other countries, including the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
The announcement comes as authorities increasingly warn about the growth of drug trafficking in this Mediterranean nation of nearly 46 million people, which has roughly 6,400 kilometers of land borders. According to figures attributed to the National Office for the Fight Against Drugs and Addiction (ONLCDT), Algeria had more than three million drug users in 2024.
Authorities regularly announce major seizures. On August 21, they reported intercepting more than 10 million pregabalin capsules, a psychotropic substance, along with over 33 kilograms of cocaine , described as a record haul.
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