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LONDON: Syrian authorities arrested a prominent drug dealer on Thursday in the coastal province of Lattakia.

Nomair Al-Assad is regarded as one of the country’s most prominent drug dealers and has been involved in several crimes during the era of the Bashar Assad regime, according to the Ministry of Interior.

Internal Security Forces captured Al-Assad alongside several members of a criminal gang in the city of Qardaha, famously known as the hometown of the Assad family.

Brig. Gen. Abdulaziz Al-Ahmad of the ISF told SANA that Al-Assad used his kinship with the Assad regime to “form and manage organized terrorist networks, which were involved in murders, kidnapping, extortion and armed robbery against civilians in a number of governorates.”

Al-Ahmad added that Al-Assad oversaw drug production and smuggling to neighboring countries and participated in an armed attack on Syria’s forces early this year.

The ministry emphasized that the arrest reflects the ISF’s commitment to pursuing remnants of the Assad regime, combating crime, and achieving justice.

Since the fall of the regime last December, the new government in Damascus has arrested several suspects, including army officers, for crimes committed against Syrians during the country’s civil conflict.

Additionally, Syrian authorities continue to fight against drug trafficking, cooperating with neighboring countries such as Jordan, Turkiye, and Iraq to dismantle criminal networks.

HAMBURG: Algeria’s state grains agency OAIC is believed to have purchased about 400,000 metric tons of durum wheat in an international tender which closed on Wednesday, European traders said on Thursday.
The tender sought a nominal 50,000 metric tons but Algeria frequently purchases more than the volumes initially sought.
Initial estimates of the purchase price were around $324 a ton cost and freight (c&f) included for larger Panamax shipments and around $334 a ton c&f for smaller Handymax shipments.
About 90,000 tons of the purchase was believed to involve US-origin durum with much of the rest believed to involve Canadian-origin of type 3 Canada western amber durum (No.3 CWAD).
The tender sought shipment in four periods: November 1-15, November 16-30, December 1-15 and December 16-31.
Algeria does not disclose the results of its tenders and results reported are based on trader assessments. More detailed estimates of prices and volume are possible later.