Egypt busts drug trafficking network using ambulances to smuggle narcotics

Dubai: Egyptian security forces have dismantled what authorities described as a highly dangerous drug trafficking network that used private ambulances to conceal and transport massive quantities of narcotics.

 The Interior Ministry said in a statement that members of the ring employed ambulances from a private company as cover to distribute drugs across the country, in a bid to evade detection.

The bust, carried out in recent days after extensive surveillance and undercover operations, is being hailed as one of the largest strikes against drug trafficking in Egypt.

Police set up a series of ambushes after tracking the suspects’ movements, ultimately arresting them in possession of enormous quantities of contraband. Seized in the operation were 1.6 million tramadol tablets, 100 kilograms of raw tramadol powder, three tonnes of chemical precursors for drug production, as well as hashish and the methamphetamine-like drug known locally as “shabu.”

Authorities also confiscated six vehicles, including two ambulances allegedly used in the smuggling operation, along with equipment for drug manufacturing.

The haul was valued at an estimated 350 million Egyptian pounds ($7.3 million). Officials said the case marks one of the most significant blows in recent years against narcotics networks threatening Egyptian society. The suspects are now facing prosecution as investigators continue to probe the wider network and identify additional accomplices involved in the trade.

Tramadol, a synthetic opioid, has become Egypt’s most commonly abused narcotic, partly due to its availability and low cost compared with heroin. Though it has been subject to tight regulation since 2012, authorities say it remains widely misused.  A national survey by Egypt’s Anti-Addiction Fund found that 52 percent of drug users consume tramadol, followed by heroin at 26 percent and hashish at 23 percent.