75 criminals arrested for bribery, human trafficking

CAIRO – 5 January 2018: Public Funds Prosecution imprisoned an organized crime group of seventy-five criminals, including Governmental officials and foreign citizens, and charged them for committing bribery, using official positions for personal gain, falsifying official documents, easing illegal immigrations and human trafficking.

After 14 months of investigations by the Administrative Control Authority, the public prosecutor ordered the arrest of the group and referred the case to the Public Funds Prosecution.

In late 2016, Cairo introduced a law stiffening penalties against human traffickers. The move came after a migrant boat capsized in September 2016 off the Mediterranean coast, killing hundreds. The law imposes prison terms and fines on those found guilty of smuggling potential migrants or acting as brokers or middlemen.

It also imposes prison sentences on those who provide shelter to trafficked migrants, and gather, transport or otherwise facilitate their journey.

Egypt's President Abdel-Fatah al-Sisi has spoken on multiple occasions about Egypt's ongoing efforts to curb irregular migration from its shores to Europe, a key concern for European countries facing a growing migrant crisis.