Human trafficking network detected, singer may be involved: ACA

CAIRO – 6 December 2018: Egypt’s Administrative Control Authority (ACA), in charge of unfolding corruption cases in the country, announced Thursday, Dec. 6 detecting an international network for human trafficking and arresting its members, including Egyptians.

The ACA said in a statement on Facebook that investigations will expectedly reveal the involvement of a number of figures, including an infamous singer who has recently raised controversy. The ACA did not reveal further details about the identity of the singer.

A number of 20 Egyptian, Arab and European individuals are involved in the network, according to the ACA. The individuals are facing charges of exploiting the need of some women and pressuring them to participate in immoral acts, the statement read, referring to illegal sexual acts.



The network’s members are also accused of bringing drugs from Turkey and India, including Heroin, Tramadol and Crystal methamphetamine (ice) to promote them for youth clients, the statement read.

The Egyptian General Prosecutor assigned the Interior Ministry’s General Department of Public Funds Crime Investigation Unit, which is responsible for tackling illegal trading outside the bureau, to investigate the case.

Secretly observing the network, with the permission of the General Prosecution, the ACA could confirm and document the facts, the statement added.

A decision was issued to arrest all the accused and to search their houses as well as one of the suspicious cafeterias in Giza’s Mohandessin district, the ACA said. At the dawn of Thursday, a number of elements of the ACA, supported by groups of the Interior Ministry’s Special Forces, managed to arrest the defendants and confiscate drugs. The ACA did not reveal in the statement the actual amount of drugs confiscated.

In May, Egypt’s Attorney General Nabil Sadek referred 40 defendants to the Criminal court on charges of human trafficking and smuggling of migrants.

The Public Funds Prosecution initiated an investigation into information provided by the ACA, which claimed that an employee in the Ministry of Foreign affairs is exploiting his position to orchestrate human trafficking and smuggling of migrants. The employee conspired with others to introduce minor females into the world of prostitution, according to the authorities’ investigations.

Moreover, the Public Funds Prosecution imprisoned an organized crime group of 75 criminals in January, including governmental officials and foreign citizens, over charges of committing bribery, using official positions for personal gain, forging official documents, easing illegal immigration and human trafficking.