Algeria will convert a military barracks in the Tanezruft desert, one of the most inhospitable areas on the planet, into a high-security prison for drug lords and drug traffickers, the country's presidency announced, Agence France-Presse reported, BTA reported.
The decision was made at a meeting of the Supreme Security Council, chaired by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. The future prison will be intended for “drug lords and traffickers”, the presidential statement said, without giving further details.
The authorities also decided to create a specialized structure to combat drugs, modeled after agencies operating in other countries, including the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA).
The decision comes amid increased warnings by Algerian authorities about the growth of drug trafficking in the country, which has nearly 46 million inhabitants and some 6,400 kilometers of land borders.
According to data from the National Service for the Fight against Drugs and Drug Addiction, there were more than three million drug addicts in Algeria in 2024.
The authorities regularly report large seizures. On August 21, they announced that they had seized more than 10 million pregabalin capsules – psychotropic substance, as well as more than 33 kilograms of cocaine, which was presented as a record seizure.
Tanezrouft is located in the extreme southwest of Algeria, near the border with Mali. It is an almost uninhabited desert area where temperatures in summer can exceed 50 degrees Celsius.
The region is known by the nickname “land of thirst“ and is considered one of the most remote and harsh parts of the Sahara.