Algerian state media says 61 Moroccans were arrested over alleged sabotage plans, citing passports and cash. The account leaves key details unanswered as the claim arrives ahead of an expected UN Security Council vote on Western Sahara.
The DGSN said the arrests took place earlier in October, before it announced them on October 11, 2026. Algeria's General Directorate of National Security said 61 Moroccan nationals were arrested on suspicion of preparing acts of sabotage that allegedly threatened security and public order. Police described the group as an "international Moroccan criminal network." An ex-member of the Moroccan armed forces was among those detained, according to the authorities.
Publicly described evidence is limited to Moroccan passports and cash in dirhams and euros. Authorities have not named a target. They have disclosed no timetable or operational plan, and reports do not mention weapons or explosives. The allegations remain accusations. The case was referred to the prosecutor at Oran's specialised criminal court, and no court had ruled on the detainees' guilt at the time of the reports.
According to the DGSN, the group flew first to Tunisia, then crossed into Algeria by mountain and forest paths near El Kala, close to the Tunisian border. The group allegedly travelled overland to Oran, where security forces detained them. Hespress reported that police cited passports and cash in connection with the case.
The allegation comes ahead of an expected UN Security Council vote on Western Sahara. It lands amid decades of tension over the territory: Morocco controls much of Western Sahara, while Algeria supports the Polisario Front and its call for self-determination. The countries' land border has been closed since 1994. Algeria severed diplomatic relations with Morocco in 2021.
The announcement recalls earlier episodes in the rivalry. In 2021, Morocco and Israel were accused without proof of causing deadly wildfires in Kabylie. That year, Algerian forces expelled Moroccan farmers from ancestral lands near Figuig. In 2023, coast guards shot dead two Moroccan tourists after their jet skis drifted across the maritime border. In 2024, Algeria imposed visa requirements on Moroccans, citing claims they were bringing in "Zionist spies."
Separate reporting on Morocco's F-16 testing concerns a different security issue. It provides no evidence about the Algerian allegation.
The account argues that recurring claims about Morocco divert attention from domestic pressures, including soaring egg prices and shortages of car parts. It also points to water cuts. Young Algerians are risking the Mediterranean crossing in search of work.
Blurred-face televised confessions are another recurring feature the account cites. The judicial process in Oran is under way.
