Algerian customs to buy helicopters, add personnel

06/09/2007

Algerian Customs have announced they will purchase six helicopters by the start of 2008, for the purpose of surveillance of smuggling activity across its borders with Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger and Tunisia.

By Said Jameh for Magharebia in Algiers – 06/09/2007

[algerie-monde.com] Mohamed Abdou Bouderbala

Algerian Customs Director Mohamed Abdou Bouderbala announced on Tuesday (September 4th) that Algeria intends to purchase six new helicopters by 2008. He said the Ministry of Finance approved a special budget to purchase three of the helicopters in the 2008 finance law.

Bouderbala confirmed, on the occasion of the opening of the new headquarters of the Constitutional Council, that the three helicopters come in addition to an existing contract with a foreign company to acquire three more at the beginning of next year.

In July, the Customs Directorate announced its plan to buy three helicopters at a cost of 24 million dollars to support customs units in the south and conduct surveillance of the land borders with Mali and Morocco.

Ben Djabelah Hamza, Director of Communications for the Customs Directorate said the new helicopters will go to help customs personnel working in the border provinces of Bechar, Ouargla and Tamanrasset.

He also announced the start of a training programme for pilots and mechanics specialised in the flying and maintenance of these helicopters, explaining that the helicopters will be operated in co-ordination with the Algerian air force, due to the lack of experience among Customs personnel.

Algeria has a border with Morocco stretching more than 1800km to the west. This area is famous for drug smuggling from Morocco into Algeria and fuel smuggling from Algeria into Morocco.

To the south, Algeria has borders with Western Sahara, Mauritania, Mali, and Niger stretching for thousands of kilometres, and its border with Libya has seen automobile and drug smuggling, as well as trafficking of various foodstuffs and agricultural products such as dates.

The southern border, particularly with Mali and Niger, has seen intense activity by cigarette and arms smugglers, as certain al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist groups rely on the area as a base. The area is also the first point of call for migrants heading northward accross the Sahara on their way to Tamanrasset province and beyond.

Bouderbala also announced an increase in customs personnel from 14,000 to 20,000 by the year 2010.

Bouderbala unveiled a programme to modernise the weaponry and ammunition used by Customs personnel, under which the outdated materiel will be ceded to the armed forces for disposal.

He explained that the use of advanced weapons is restricted to remote areas, where smuggling activity is rampant and linked to armed groups.

Also in development is a revised customs law, to replace the outdated current legislation which dates back to 1979.

One significant aspect of the draft law is a proposed increae in benefits and pay for Customs personnel, in order to make them less susceptible to bribery and smuggling.

The law would make it possible to create new positions and ranks within the Algerian Customs, such as that of guide.

The law will also tighten up entry standards into the Customs service and subject new recruits to rigorous training, to prepare them for duty in harsh conditions on the southern border.