At a press conference yesterday, Walid Zghina, the Public Prosecutor at the Fellaoucene court in Oran, announced the dismantling of a criminal network, which included five former terrorists, that specialized in kidnapping individuals for ransom to fund terrorist activities abroad, particularly in Syria.
The network, consisting of nine individuals, including former terrorist Abou Abdallah El-Djazairi, was involved in the kidnapping, torture, and murder of a minor, A.B. The victim’s mutilated body was found on February 23 in the El-Barki district of Oran. According to the investigation, the minor was lured to a house in El-Karma by other minors before being killed. The main suspect, Abou Abdallah El-Djazairi, confessed to the crime after authorities located his home, where he had been hiding since his return from Syria.
The former terrorist, who had been sentenced to 18 months in prison by the Algiers court before disappearing, admitted that the kidnapping was intended to raise funds for terrorist groups but tragically resulted in the murder of the victim. Further investigation revealed photographs of another victim, a student missing since August 2024, who had been held for ransom.
Additionally, investigators found remains of the student in the Emir Abdelkader area and connected five other individuals arrested in different regions, including Batna, Blida, Tlemcen, and Tébessa, to the criminal network. These individuals are currently under questioning.
The prosecutor confirmed that the five main defendants had previously participated in international terrorist activities in Syria before serving prison sentences upon returning to Algeria. The investigation is ongoing, with further inquiries to determine any additional involvement in terrorism.
The dismantling of this criminal network has exposed the dark link between kidnapping for ransom and the financing of international terrorist activities. Authorities continue to investigate the full extent of the network’s operations.
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