Egypt: Five 'highly dangerous' suspects killed in police raid in Assiut

Dubai: Five alleged “highly dangerous” criminal suspects were killed in a shootout with police during a security operation in Assiut governorate in southern Egypt, the Interior Ministry said.

The raid formed part of a wider campaign targeting what authorities described as criminal hubs across several governorates. Security and anti-narcotics units, acting on intelligence, said the groups had been trafficking large quantities of drugs and unlicensed firearms.

During the operation, the suspects opened fire on police forces, prompting an exchange of gunfire in which five men were killed, the ministry said. The individuals had previously been sentenced to prison and life terms in cases including drug trafficking, illegal weapons possession, armed robbery and sexual assault. Other members of the alleged criminal networks were arrested.

Police said they seized nearly one tonne of various narcotics, including cannabis, hydroponic marijuana, heroin and methamphetamine, along with more than 28,000 narcotic pills. A total of 96 firearms were also confiscated, including 21 automatic rifles, 27 shotguns, 45 locally made weapons and three pistols.

Authorities estimated the street value of the seized drugs at around 120 million Egyptian pounds.

Legal proceedings have been initiated, the ministry said, adding that security forces would continue operations aimed at dismantling criminal networks and combating drug and weapons trafficking to safeguard public security.