Algeria: 61 Moroccans arrested on suspicion of planning to sabotage Oran

On the evening of Sunday, October 11, 2026, the Algerian General Directorate of National Security (the police) announced the arrest of 61 Moroccan citizens in the city of Oran, claiming that they were preparing to commit “sabotage acts” that affect public security and order. The security report described the network as a "Moroccan international criminal network" and"very dangerous", while the detainees were referred to the specialized penal pole in Oran. According to the report, which was reported by both Algerian and Moroccan media, the members of the alleged network took An indirect route to reach Algeria: They took flights to the Tunisian capital, Tunisia, before crossing the Algerian-Tunisian border through mountain trails and the forests of the Qala region in the Wilayat of Tarf, then heading overland towards Oran. The Algerian authorities stated that the detainees were seized with Moroccan passports and sums of money in dirhams and euros, without revealing accurate figures. The report did not include any details about the targets that the detainees intended to target or the means they were going to use, which indicated He also told AFP, quoting the same security source. Among those arrested, according to the same sources, there is an element who has previously served in the ranks of the Moroccan army. The timing coincides with the Sahara issue in the Security Council. The announcement of the arrests comes about three weeks before the expected date for the UN Security Council to adopt a new resolution on the Moroccan Sahara issue, about a year after the adoption of resolution 2797, which considered the Moroccan autonomy plan as a basis for negotiation. Several Moroccan journalist comments linked the timing of the announcement Diplomatic tension between Rabat and Algeria has escalated at this sensitive stage of the UN dossier. There is no official Moroccan response so far. At the time of writing, no Moroccan official body has issued a response to the Algerian police report, while it is not yet clear what will happen to the 61 detainees or whether they will have access to a lawyer or consular communication. This development comes after a series of similar incidents, as the Algerian authorities have previously announced the arrest of 4 Moroccans on charges of planning to sabotage Algerian legislative elections, as dismantled in September 2024 was what it then called a “Moroccan espionage network,” weeks before the Algerian presidential elections.