CAIRO: A housewife at Al-Nahdah district has admitted to carrying out a series of swindles. With the assistance of her daughter and private driver, she assured people that she was able to reserve housing units for them, but once she had taken the money from her them she disappeared. First Assistant Interior Minister for Cairo Security Directorate Maj. Gen. Ismail Al-Sha'ir had received complaints from 41 victims. The suspects were arrested while on the run in Qalubiya. After confessing details of the incident, they were referred to the prosecutor, who initiated an investigation. Al-Nahdah Police Station Chief of Detectives Lt. Col. Ahmed Hashad was requested by a large number of craftsmen and young people to meet him in connection with the crimes. Preliminary investigations, supervised by Assistant Interior Minister for Cairo Investigation Department Maj. Gen. Ahmed Abdel-Jawwad, revealed that 41 victims had come forward. Among those who claimed they had been deceived by the woman was Ismail Mohamed Ismail, 25, a kebab chef and resident of Al-Nahdah. The housewife claimed she had strong acquaintances with senior officials at the Cairo governorate and the cabinet and that she could reserve housing units for them at the government's special shelters. Investigations revealed that the suspect sought the help of her 21-year-old daughter, also a housewife, and her former 45-year-old private driver (who was charged in the past with five drug cases) and collected LE 3 million from the victims. When they went to her home they discovered that she had disappeared. A force led by Maj. Gen. Sami Sidhom managed to track the suspects to a house in Siriakos village, Qalubiya governorate. All of them were arrested and confessed the details of the crimes. They were referred to the prosecution office and an investigation is underway.
