In cooperation with international efforts to deplete terrorist financial networks and combat drug trafficking, in March 2015 the Egyptian Navy and border protection forces captured a ship carrying about 3.5 tons of hashish destined for Egypt and a neighboring country.
After identifying and locating the suspect ship, the Armed Forces boarded and searched it 55 miles from Damietta port on the Mediterranean Sea. The vessel had tried to evade the Egyptian Navy, but firing warning shots forced the ship to stop.
Egyptian forces found that the ship carried a crew of eight along with 68 pallets of hashish. The ship and crew were seized by the anti-narcotics authority for investigation and legal review.
Drug trafficking is an important tool for terrorists to finance recruitment and attacks. The region has witnessed increased drug smuggling as a prelude to attacks in places such as the Sinai and Iraq. Such spikes in smuggling suggest that violent extremists feel the need to raise more cash.
Source: Egyptian Ministry of Defense