Egyptian authorities on Monday discovered three underground tunnels on the borders with the Palestinian Gaza Strip. The discovery came as a part of Egypt's ongoing campaign to police borders with Israel and Gaza. A security source said police found the three tunnels in the regions of Salah Eddin and Ahrash, saying they have been used for smuggling home appliances, electronics, fuel and gas. Nobody was found inside the tunnels, which have been put under security protection in preparation for demolition. Smuggling activities continue through tunnels linking Egyptian and Palestinian parts of the city of Rafah, despite an Egyptian decision to permanently open the Rafah crossing. Palestinians and smugglers argue that the crossing serves individuals alone, which makes curbing the smuggling of merchandises impossible. A thousand underground tunnels are thought to have been dug in recent years along the 13km border between Egypt and Gaza, securing millions of dollars for workers, entrepreneurs and transport agents. People used tunnels to smuggle goods into Gaza after Israel imposed a blockade on the territory when Palestinian group Hamas took power in 2007. The tunnels are usually 25 meters deep and more than 600 meters long, according to media reports. They link open areas inside Gaza with farms and houses on the Egyptian side. Israel has frequently accused Hamas of using the tunnels to smuggle weapons.
