Algeria has decided to convert a military barracks in the Tanziloft desert, one of the world's harshest areas to live, into a high-security prison, intended for drug barons and drug dealers. On Wednesday, the authorities also approved the establishment of a security body specialized in combating drugs, similar to the US Drug Enforcement Agency.

Published on: 09/03/2026 - 08:29

The Algerian presidency announced on Wednesday that it will transform a military barracks located in the Tanzoroft desert, one of the harshest areas in the world to live in, into a high-security prison designated for drug traffickers.

A statement issued by the presidency included that the new prison would be allocated to “drug barons and drug dealers,” without other details. The decision was taken during a meeting of the Supreme Security Council headed by Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.

Establishing a security body specialized in combating drugs

The authorities also decided to establish a security agency specialized in combating drugs, similar to existing agencies in many countries such as the Drug Enforcement Administration in the United States (DEA).

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The decision was taken at a time when the authorities were intensifying their warnings about the escalation of drug smuggling in the country, which has a population of approximately 46 million people and is located on the Mediterranean Sea and has land borders extending about 6,400 kilometers.

According to figures from the National Office to Combat Drugs and Addiction, the number of addicts in Algeria will reach more than three million in 2024.

Read also: Algeria arrests Mehdi Laaribi, one of the suspected leaders of the “DZ Mafia” network

Tanzoroft, located in the far southwest of Algeria, on the border with Mali, is an almost empty desert where temperatures can exceed 50 degrees Celsius during the summer. It is considered one of the most isolated and harsh regions of the Sahara.

France 24/AFP

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