The Criminal Chamber of the Tunis Court of First Instance recently handed down heavy prison sentences, ranging from 30 to 35 years, against nine individuals involved in an international network specializing in money laundering and hard drug trafficking.
The defendants were found guilty of establishing, managing, participating in and joining a transnational criminal organization dedicated to drug trafficking. The charges also include possession, transportation, offering, delivery and distribution of narcotic substances with intent to engage in trade.
According to the court file, the discovery of this criminal organization resulted from a series of investigations carried out by agents of the subordinate anti-narcotics administration of the Bardo brigade. Investigators managed to identify the members of the network after several weeks of surveillance and technical investigations.
Trap set
A trap was set for the group at the port of La Goulette, where agents arrested them in flagrante delicto of attempting to introduce seven kilograms of cocaine into Tunisia from a European country.
The searches, hearings and cross-checks carried out subsequently revealed the existence of an organized criminal structure, active internationally, combining drug trafficking and money laundering.
This case marks one of the heaviest sentences in recent years as part of the national fight against cross-border drug networks. It also illustrates the intensification of security efforts aimed at dismantling criminal structures operating between Tunisia and Europe.
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