Airport customs officials in Cairo foil bid to smuggle in 45 bladed weapons, narcotic pills

Two passengers who arrived at Cairo International Airport are to be prosecuted in separate cases for trying to smuggle in items in violation of customs laws. (Supplied)
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Updated 15 January 2023
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Airport customs officials in Cairo foil bid to smuggle in 45 bladed weapons, narcotic pills

  • A manual inspection then resulted in the seizure of the bladed items

CAIRO: Two passengers who arrived at Cairo International Airport are to be prosecuted in separate cases for trying to smuggle in items in violation of customs laws.

The first passenger was held in possession of 45 bladed weapons, while the other was carrying a quantity of tramadol tablets.

The passenger facing legal action over the bladed weapons was on a Turkish Airlines flight from Istanbul. He was stopped by a customs officer at the gate and an inspection of his baggage by the X-ray machine revealed the presence of metallic objects.

A manual inspection then resulted in the seizure of the bladed items.

The second case was investigated in coordination with the General Department for Drug Control at the airport.

Officials said 240 tablets of tramadol, a pain medication, were seized during the completion of customs procedures for passengers arriving on a flight from Athens.

Separately, customs authorities reported a foreign female passenger had been held in possession of 15 narcotic items, and an Egyptian passenger for having five drugs-related packages.

The first passenger was stopped following customs procedures for passengers from an Egyptian flight which had arrived from Johannesburg. She was trying to reach the travel hall with Hurghada, Egypt, as its destination.

She denied possession of the drugs but a search of her bags revealed marijuana oil in her luggage.

There were 13 plastic packages containing the drug, along with two items used to heat the items.

The passenger on the flight from Milan was found to be in possession of five packages containing drugs.


Senior Hamas figure reported killed in air strike in Gaza

Updated 8 sec ago
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Senior Hamas figure reported killed in air strike in Gaza

  • Israel has razed buildings and ordered residents out ⁠of more than half of Gaza where its troops remain
  • Israel ⁠and Hamas have traded blame for violations of the ceasefire

CAIRO: Two Israeli airstrikes killed five people in Deir Al-Balah in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, local health authorities said, and Palestinian media reported that one of those killed was a senior figure in the armed wing of Hamas.
The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the incident. Palestinian media identified him as Mohammed Al-Holy, describing him as ⁠a local Hamas commander in Deir Al-Balah. The militant group did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
More than 400 Palestinians and three Israeli soldiers have been reported killed since a fragile ceasefire took effect in October.
Israel has razed buildings and ordered residents out ⁠of more than half of Gaza where its troops remain. Nearly all of the territory’s more than 2 million people now live in makeshift homes or damaged buildings in a sliver of territory where Israeli troops have withdrawn and Hamas has reasserted control.
The United Nations children agency said on Tuesday that over 100 children have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire, including victims of drone and quadcopter attacks.
Israel ⁠and Hamas have traded blame for violations of the ceasefire and remain far apart from each other on key issues, despite the United States announcing the second phase of the ceasefire on Wednesday.
Israel launched its operations in Gaza in the wake of an attack by Hamas-led fighters on October, 2023 which killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies. Israel’s assault has killed 71,000 people, according to health authorities in the strip, and left much of Gaza in ruins.