Egypt arrests 691 in illegal gold mining crackdown
Two military officers died in exchanges of fire during operations targeting armed criminal groups in the Eastern Desert.
Egypt’s Armed Forces apprehended 691 individuals, including 151 Egyptians and 540 foreign nationals, in a campaign against illegal gold mining in the Eastern Desert. Military Spokesperson Colonel Ahmed Othman Ali announced on Thursday, 5 November, that the operation also seized 34 weapons, 6,307 rounds of ammunition, 317 vehicles, and 916 pieces of technical equipment. The campaign also resulted in the removal of 4,488 tents and makeshift shelters.
Colonel Othman stated that the operations targeted armed criminal groups involved in unauthorised gold extraction, some linked to cross-border weapons trafficking, drug smuggling, and illegal migration. The first phase of the campaign took place near Marsa Alam, with the second targeting the Jabal Eiqaat area. During the operations, two military officers, Colonel Ahmed Samir and Lieutenant Colonel Ahmed Gouda, were killed in exchanges of fire.
The fourth phase of the campaign was scheduled to begin on Saturday, 7 November, following three previous phases conducted between 14 June and 29 October. Colonel Othman also reported that an additional 6,614 people had voluntarily surrendered before the operations commenced.
Why it mattersThe crackdown on illegal gold mining and associated criminal activities directly affects the 691 people arrested and the families of the two military officers killed.