27 police officials accused of cooperation with drug network in Delta

Twenty-seven police, including a number of generals, have been accused of cooperating with a large drug network in the Delta, security sources told the privately owned Al-Watan newspaper Sunday.

Leaders of the network, Mohamed Hafez (known as “Duksh”) and his older brother, Amin Hafez, were arrested in April in the Delta governorate of Qalyubiya, when they confessed during interrogation to being assisted by a number of police officials from Qalyubiya Security Directorate.

The police officials received monthly salaries of around LE60,000 to provide gang members with information on raids in the Gaafra area of Qalyubiya, according to the brothers’ confession.

The brothers have been accused of killing five policemen during a number of raids, with two of the police accomplices aiding network leader Mohamed Hafez in hiding following the deaths, according to security sources, who told the privately owned Al-Watan newspaper that the list of 27 police aides may increase to include former senior officials at Qalyubiya Security Directorate.

The Interior Ministry has vowed not to cover up for any security officials involved in the investigation, regardless of their positions, head of Qalyubiya Security Directorate Saeed Shalaby told the privately owned Al-Shorouk newspaper in April.

The privately owned Youm7 newspaper reported on Wednesday that six police officials have already been suspended ahead of investigations. The newspaper cited Interior Ministry sources, who said a reshuffle is expected to take place at Qalyubiya Security Directorate following the incident and that the investigation is part of a wider National Security Agency probe into criminal groups.