Egypt: Five drug dealers killed, large quantities seized in security operations

The Interior Ministry clarified in a statement on Saturday that the clashes with these elements were conducted as part of efforts to pursue criminal hubs involved in smuggling and trafficking narcotics and unlicensed firearms in the Qena, Asyut, and Sohag governorates, noting that the operations resulted in the seizure of large quantities of drugs and weapons.

It stated that the operation followed investigations by the General Security Sector and the Anti-Narcotics and Unlicensed Weapons and Ammunition Sector, which uncovered the activities of several criminal hubs comprising highly dangerous criminal elements engaged in procuring quantities of narcotics and unlicensed firearms for the purpose of trafficking. This prompted security agencies to prepare operations to target the suspects after completing the necessary legal procedures.

Following the completion of legal procedures, the criminal elements were targeted with the participation of the Central Security Sector. The security confrontations resulted in the killing of five highly dangerous criminal elements who had previously been charged and sentenced to imprisonment and life imprisonment in criminal cases, including murder, drug trafficking, possession of weapons without a license, and armed robbery.

The operations resulted in the seizure of more than one ton of various narcotics, along with 122 firearms of different types. Security agencies estimated the financial value of the seized narcotics at approximately 192 million Egyptian pounds.

The ministry affirmed that these operations are part of the Interior Ministry’s ongoing security efforts to target criminal hubs and elements involved in the trafficking of narcotics and unlicensed firearms, and to combat criminal activities that threaten public safety.