Alexandria — A source with the Alexandria Prosecution told state news agency MENA that a case of weapons smuggled from Libya has been referred to military prosecutors to investigate, as it involves large quantities of arms and ammunition.
Security services had seized the weapons in Matrouh, north west of Cairo, MENA said.
The source also said the smugglers may have smuggled in large quantities of drugs before they were caught with the arms.
The ammunition included 12,000 bullets, rocket launchers, mortars and RPGs.
Media reports have said that weapons smuggling across the Egypt-Libya border has increased since the overthrow and killing of Libyan leader Muammar Qadhafi last year.
Residents of Siwa, an Egyptian oasis near the Libyan border, accused smugglers in February of starting massive fires on their farms to punish them for cooperating with the Egyptian authorities in tightening security measures in the region.
London-based newspaper Asharq al-Awsat quoted an Egyptian security source on Monday as saying that Iran may be funding the smuggling of Libyan weapons to the Sinai Peninsula to cause unrest in the already troubled area.
