Egypt's Administrative Control Authority (ACA) arrested on Thursday 75 members of a large human trafficking ring made up of Egyptian citizens – including governmental officials – and foreign nationals, Al-Ahram Arabic website reported. According to a 14-month investigation by the ACA, the members of the ring are involved bribery, profiteering, forging official documents, counterfeiting, facilitating illegal immigration, human trafficking and embezzling public and private funds. The office of the Public Funds Prosecution has ordered that all defendants be detained pending investigations. A team consisting of 250 ACA members raided several hideouts used by members of the crime ring in Cairo, Giza, Alexandria, Gharbiya, Daqahliya and Kafr El-Shiekh governorates. The ACA has seized foreign currency, computers, illegal communication and scanning devices, as well as fake seals for a number of Egyptian government authorities and institutions. Thousands of migrants and refugees from various countries have attempted in recent years to cross the Mediterranean to reach Europe, with an increasing number departing via smugglers' boats from Egypt's northern coast. In October 2016, Egypt's parliament passed legislation criminalising human trafficking and imposing penalties from three to 15 years in prison. In September 2016, a migrant boat destined for Italy capsized due to overcrowding off the coast of the Egyptian Mediterranean city of Rosetta, leading to the deaths of at least 204 people.
