CAIRO: Authorities discovered four marijuana fields in the Sinai peninsula and seized 1.5 tons of marijuana elsewhere in the largely desert region on Thursday, a security source told AFP.
Police have found around four acres planted with marijuana in a mountainous region of central Sinai, and also seized 1.5 tons of dried marijuana in south Sinai, the official said.
He said no arrests had been made.
A study published last year by Egypt s National Council for Fighting and Treating Addiction reported that 8.5 percent of Egypt s population, amounting to six million people, are addicted to drugs.
The Sinai is a prime destination for the millions of tourists who visit Egypt every year, including the resort of Sharm El-Sheikh. -AFP