Tunisian security forces have dismantled an international drug trafficking network. They seized 370,000 Ecstasy tablets, 12 kilos of cocaine, 13 cars and nearly 550,000 dinars. Police arrested 14 suspects, while 15 others remain sought.
In a statement published on Saturday August 30, the Ministry of the Interior said that the Ben Arous Central Antidrogue Brigade led the operation in coordination with the Directorate General of Customs. The prosecution of the Tunis 1 first instance court supervised the whole intervention. The investigators spotted the hidden cargo in a car arrived from a European country by a ferry from the Tunisian navigation company. They then intercepted the vehicle in Mahdia.
To support its investigations, the Ministry of the Interior has published a video showing the spinning and interception of the vehicle.
In addition, the agents confiscated several goods, including 13 cars and a motorcycle, in addition to the sum in liquid. The public prosecutor ordered the opening of judicial information and entrusted the file to an investigating judge. The latter placed the suspects arrested in detention and launched research mandates for the fugitives.
Finally, the authorities continue the investigations in order to dismantle the rest of the network. This case highlights the importance of cooperation between the National Guard and Customs, and shows the will of Tunisian institutions to slow down the expansion of transnational traffic.
