Pubdate: Sun, 13 Aug 2000 Source: Reuters Copyright: 2000 Reuters Limited. MOROCCAN GROUP DENIES SMUGGLING DRUGS TO ALGERIA RABAT, Aug 12 (Reuters) - Morocco's outlawed Islamist opposition al-Adl Wal Ihsane (Justice and Charity) group on Saturday denied any involvement in smuggling cannabis and arms to Algeria. Algeria's Liberte daily and the London-based Asharq al-Awsat newspaper reported on Saturday that Algerian security forces recently arrested an active member of al-Adl Wal Ihsane involved in drugs and arms trafficking. "This information is baseless...Our movement has nothing to do with drugs and arms trafficking...This a pure manipulation of public opinion," Fathallah Arsalane, the spokesman of al-Adl Wal Ihsane, told Reuters. Arsalane said his group would issue a statement to respond to what he termed "anti-Islamist propaganda and disinformation of security services." The Algiers-based Liberte, referring to what it described as a reliable source, announced the seizure of seven kg (15.4 pounds) of dynamite sticks and a large quantity of cannabis resin hidden in a vehicle with Moroccan number plates. The seizure took place few days ago at a police checkpoint near Maghnia, 35 kms (22 miles) from the Moroccan border, it said. - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D