CAIRO - The recent seizure of 25 anti-aircraft missiles in a vehicle on its way to el-Alamein must be a cause for national concern. Such weapons are military in nature, so they couldn't have been stolen from a police station or prison during the revolution. Following the withdrawal of the police from the streets and police stations, some security leaders wickedly destabilised the country in co-operation with thugs, who sabotaged police stations and opened prisons, while looting the weapons stored in both places. Meanwhile, with the chaos in the streets and the threat from armed criminals, some citizens have been purchasing weapons, most of them stolen ones, to defend themselves and their property. In an attempt to restore security, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces recently held an unlicensed weapons amnesty. Although the public were able to hand in such weapons with impunity by a certain date, very few did. Apparently, there are still many weapons out there, in the hands of criminals and ordinary citizens. But what is really worrying is the recent seizure of all these missiles on a highway in el-Beheira Governorate. Obviously, such weapons are being smuggled across our borders. One wonders where they came for, where they were going and for whom they were destined. Hopefully, this case doesn't mean the smuggling of weapons into Egypt is widespread. Nevertheless, the security authorities should increase the number of checkpoints on the highways, especially those close to the borders, to prevent weapons being smuggled into the country for use by extremist groups trying to seize power and foment more chaos. This incident also highlights the need to expedite the election of a new parliament and president, so that the Armed Forces can concentrate on their main task: protecting the country's borders.
