# Organized crime crackdowns in Turkey and Algeria > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/tobacco-crime-crackdowns-in-turkey-and-algeria > Updated: 2026-08-03T13:44:40.000Z. Sources: 21. Developments: 6. In early June 2026 Turkish police in Istanbul carried out coordinated raids that seized more than 1.7 million empty cigarette rolling papers, over a ton of shredded tobacco, thousands of illegal cigarette packs and related equipment, and detained 22 suspects. A parallel investigation uncovered a multinational diamond‑smuggling ring valued at about 1.7 billion Turkish lira, with diamonds hidden in earbuds, snack bags and e‑cigarette devices; several members, including an Iranian courier, were arrested. Algerian authorities continued their anti‑organized‑crime drive. On 10 June the Central Brigade for Economic and Financial Crime dismantled a fraud network inside United Tobacco Company, arresting ten executives and seizing luxury assets – villas in Algiers and Spain, high‑end apartments, cars, watches and cash – linked to losses estimated at 1 000 billion centimes. A week later, on 28 June, the National Gendarmerie’s drug‑fight service raided Algiers, arresting twelve suspected traffickers and confiscating four quintals of processed cannabis, nearly 3 000 psychotropic tablets, ten vehicles, a motorcycle and cash exceeding one billion centimes. The July operations previously reported – the 12 July coordinated raids in Algiers and Tlemcen that netted 17 arrests and seized over six metric tonnes of kif, and the 26 July army raids in Béchar, Adrar and Timimoun that captured 45 kg of cocaine, 357 g additional cocaine and almost 60 000 psychotropic tablets – remained part of the same campaign. On 3 August police in Chlef arrested two copper‑theft suspects and, in a larger Algiers operation, dismantled six neighbourhood‑gang networks, detaining 42 people, seizing 58 knives, 700 psychotropic capsules, 15 g of cocaine, explosives, a tourist vehicle and cash over 218 000 dinars. Officials repeatedly emphasized that the coordinated actions of the army, gendarmerie and police aim to dismantle transnational organised‑crime networks, cut illicit financing and preserve national stability. ## Timeline ### 2026-08-03: Algerian police arrest 44 suspects in copper theft and gang crackdown Algerian police arrested two copper thieves in Chlef and 42 gang members in Algiers, seizing copper, weapons, drugs and cash. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/algerian-police-arrest-44-suspects-in-copper-theft-and-gang-crackdown ### 2026-07-26: Algerian Army Seizes Major Cocaine and Psychotropic Shipment The Algerian army seized 45 kg of cocaine, 357 g more, 59,997 psychotropic tablets, four vehicles, and arrested five people in operations across Béchar, Adrar and Timimoun. 7 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/algerian-army-seizes-major-cocaine-and-psychotropic-shipment ### 2026-07-11: Algeria cracks down on transborder drug network, 17 arrested Algerian security forces raided drug networks in Algiers and Tlemcen on 12 July, arresting 17 people and seizing over six quintals of kif, tablets and vehicles. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/algeria-cracks-down-on-transborder-drug-network-17-arrested ### 2026-06-28: Algeria Dismantles Transnational Organized Crime Network Algerian police arrested 12 suspected traffickers in Algiers on 28 June 2026, seizing four quintals of cannabis, 2,966 psychotropic tablets, vehicles, cash and phones in a crackdown on a transnational crime net 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/algeria-dismantles-transnational-organized-crime-network ### 2026-06-10: Algerian police dismantle United Tobacco Company fraud network Algerian police busted a fraud scheme at United Tobacco Company, recovering ~1,000 billion centimes and seizing luxury assets after arresting ten senior officials. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/algerian-police-dismantle-united-tobacco-company-fraud-network ### 2026-06-05: Turkish police seize millions of illegal tobacco products and bust $1.7 bn diamond smuggling ring Turkish police detained 22 in a massive tobacco seizure and busted a $1.7 bn diamond smuggling network involving Dubai, Iran and India, seizing millions of contraband items. 6 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/turkish-police-seize-millions-of-illegal-tobacco-products-and-bust-17-bn-diamond-smuggling-ring --- Cite as: Organized crime crackdowns in Turkey and Algeria. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/tobacco-crime-crackdowns-in-turkey-and-algeria