Egypt ready to train customs workers from neighboring countries on smuggling detection

CAIRO – 27 June 2022: Minister of Transport Kamel al-Wazir met Sunday Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime (UNODC) Ghada Waly, expressing Egypt's readiness to train customs workers from neighboring countries on smuggling detection.

 

The meeting came during Waly's visit to Egypt along with an accompanying delegation to discuss cooperation with Egypt in various relevant fields.

The UNODC's executive director highlighted the Container Control Programme carried out jointly with the World Customs Authority. The programme assists countries to set and maintain effective container control regulations at seaports, dry ports, railways, and airports.  

The Egyptian Armed Forces issued in May a statement displaying the outcomes of operations carried out by both the Border Guards Force and the police to foil attempts of drug trafficking.

The Egyptian Army’s Border Guards thwarted in May an attempt to smuggle a large shipment of weapons, ammunition and drugs during their operations in the Great Sand Sea area south of Siwa Oasis.

According to a statement by the Egyptian Armed Forces spokesman, the border guards managed to seize two four-wheel drive vehicles without license plates that are used by the terrorist elements for operations of smuggling and infirtlation.

The border guards also seized seven sniper rifles, two Kalashnikov machine guns, 13 automatic rifles, five beretta rifles, an RPG, a 12.7mm caliber machine gun, two 14.5mm caliber machine guns, eight automatic rifle magazines, the spokesman said.

This is in addition to seven sniper magazines, two RPG rockets, 1,162 bullets, and a telephone used for communication via satellite.

The forces also managed to seize a million drug tablets and legal measures were taken against the smugglers, the spokesman added.