Customs: qualitative operations carried out during 2025

Speaking at the ceremony celebrating World Customs Day, which was attended by the President of the National People's Assembly (APN), Mr Brahim Boughali, and members of the Government, representatives of employers' organisations and senior customs officials, Major General Bakhouche recalled that his services had continued their efforts to combat smuggling and cross-border crime over the past year.

The total number of cases resulting in seizures, stemming from crimes committed during the past year, amounted to 1,094, while cases related to currency exchange exceeded 4,000, with a total value exceeding 119 billion dinars, he said.

He also emphasised that Algerian Customs has made vigilance and commitment guiding principles of its daily work, both in securing borders and facilitating trade, and protecting citizens against any threat to their social and economic security. He specified that this vigilance cannot be achieved without intelligent digitisation, nor can it be translated into concrete results without integrated information systems.

In this context, Major General Bakhouche highlighted the digital transformation within the corps, reflecting the commitment to improving performance and enhancing transparency, praising the evolution of the "ALCES" IT system, particularly through new digital services for travellers and operators, such as the digitisation of travel documents and currency declarations, with the registration of 4,708 external accounts and 7,771 active internal accounts.

In addition, the same official highlighted that the department granted customs facilities to support State major projects, particularly infrastructure, through "the simplification of equipment import procedures and the granting of customs benefits to encourage investment and support the national development".

Algerian customs units honoured by the World Customs Organisation for their "outstanding performance"

Regarding World Customs Day, Major General Bakhouche said that it provides an opportunity to highlight the role that customs administrations around the world have played since the Organisation's creation in "striking a balance between the requirements of sovereignty and economic openness, and the protection of society and the facilitation of trade".

On this occasion, the WCO honoured Algerian customs officials in recognition of their "remarkable" efforts in the performance of their duties, as well as customs brigades that had carried out exceptional actions and achieved outstanding results during the past year, in addition to officials from various bodies, such as the National People's Army (ANP), the Algerian Police and the Civil Protection.

Among the distinguished customs brigades are the regional mobile brigade specialising in combating smuggling in Laghouat, the regional mobile brigade in Illizi and the regional mobile brigade in El Oued.

The families of customs officers who died in the line of duty, as well as retired customs officers, were also honoured during the World Customs Day celebrations.