Security forces have made more arrests in the Rashid illegal migrant boat case: three people who were hiding out in a flat in Sidi Bishr, Alexandria, as well as a broker in Beheira who is accused of assisting six Sudanese people to illegally immigrate, according to state media.
All defendants will be referred to the prosecution for investigation.
Gharbeya governorate has the highest frequency of illegal migration from Egypt. Accordingly, Minister of Expatriate Affairs Nabila Makram and former grand mufti Ali Gomaa headed to Mit Badr Halawa on Monday to raise awareness and educate people about the risks of illegal immigration.
High-ranking security officials, ministerial officials, public figures, and members of parliament will attend these educational seminars.
Two other crew members were detained on Thursday for four days pending investigations, on accusations of human trafficking, according to state-run newspaper Al-Ahram. The case currently has more than 24 defendants.
The boat sunk on 21 August in the Mediterranean Sea, offshore from Rashid in Beheira governorate; it was carrying between 300 and 600 illegal migrants.
The death toll has now reached 202, and the armed forces were able to rescue 163 people.
