Customs officials at the Port of Algiers have seized 1,084 mobile phones concealed within shoeboxes from a traveler arriving from Marseille, France.
The Algerian Customs and Excise Service (TSA) confirmed the interception, noting that the goods were imported illegally and hidden within personal luggage to evade detection and duties.
The seizure underscores the ongoing challenges authorities face in monitoring informal trade flows and contraband at major Mediterranean ports.
While the incident involves a single passenger rather than a commercial shipment, the volume of devices suggests organized smuggling activity aimed at bypassing import regulations and tax structures.
This event adds to a broader pattern of customs enforcement actions across North Africa and the Middle East.
Recent reports indicate similar interceptions at other regional hubs, including Pakistan’s Silk Route Dry Port, where authorities thwarted attempts to smuggle hundreds of mobile phones.