trial of 3 Moroccans who tried to join Droukdal...s group

The Algiers criminal court will decide today in the case of three Moroccans accused of belonging to terrorist group which actives on the national territory and also for smuggling after being arrested in the department of Tizi Ouzou by security services.

• The three men have stated before the magistrate that the purpose of their entry into Algeria was neither to join the group of Droukdal nor El Qaeda in Islamic Maghreb, but they wanted ship to Italy and that they were members of smugglers in Morocco on a mission in Algeria to join the elements of a group of smugglers in the east (Annaba, Tarf), then to Italy. But the behaviour of the defendants was noticed by the security services who contradicted the statements of the latter.
  
  The three defendants were arrested in the department of Tizi Ouzou while returning from Bejaia. They declared that they shuttle between the departments of Boumerdes, Tizi Ouzou and Bejaia in search of places where would be the terrorist groups. They slept in mosques and hotels, which attracted the attention of security officers. The defendants have also said they told the Imam that they were looking for the terrorist groups in the region known as the Triangle of Death (Boumerdes, Tizi Ouzou, Bejaia), stronghold of elements Droukdal.
  
  These have denied these statements and claimed they would immigrate illegally to Italy via Algeria. They said they had paid the travel expenses for members of smugglers in Morocco and that they would pay the rest in Algeria.
  
  One of the defendants has stated that the purpose of their visit to Algeria was to join the Salafist group for Jihad, or group of Droukdal, thereby denying the statements of two other defendants, adding that Harga (illegal immigration) to Italy is easier from Morocco than from Algeria.
  
  Ennahar / Moussa Bounira