Dismantling of a “spy network” made up of Algerians and Moroccans, according to the prosecution

The public prosecutor’s office in Tlemcen, in western Algeria, announced on 1^is September the arrest of several people, including four of Moroccan nationality, accused of being part of“a spy network”about a week before the September 7 presidential election.

“The investigating judge at the Tlemcen court ordered, on Sunday, the provisional detention of seven individuals, including four Moroccans, following the recent dismantling of an espionage and intelligence network, with a view to undermining state security.”announced the prosecutor’s office in this border town with Morocco, quoted by the government press agency Algérie Presse Service.

A judicial investigation has been opened against “persons identified by the investigation, under criminal charges of intelligence with a foreign country, or one of its agents”pour “crime of espionage” as well as for “illegal entry into the territory for three Moroccan nationalsthe prosecution said. This network recruited Moroccan and Algerian nationals with the aim of undermining Algerian security and administrative institutions.

Algeria is holding a presidential election on Saturday, September 7, in which the outgoing president Abdelmadjid Tebboune is the big favorite, facing an Islamist candidate, Abdelaali Hassani Cherif, and a socialist candidate, Youcef Aouchiche.

Moroccan national “entered illegally”

According to the Tlemcen prosecutor’s office, this is following the arrest on August 24 of a Moroccan national “entered illegally” in Algeria and identified by his initials « Z.M. »that this business of“espionage” was discovered after data from her mobile phone was exploited. The suspect is said to be working “within an espionage and intelligence network on behalf of a foreign party, in the company of Moroccan and Algerian nationals”After his arrest, six other people, three Algerians and three Moroccans, were arrested on August 28.

Algiers broke off diplomatic relations with Rabat in August 2021, denouncing a series of“hostile acts” of its neighbor, particularly concerning the disputed territory of Western Sahara, normalization with Israel as well as support for the separatists of the Movement for the Autonomy of Kabylia (MAK) which Algiers has classified as a terrorist organization. Morocco had considered this decision “completely unjustified”rejecting accusations from the neighboring country.