CAIRO, Aug 20 (Bernama-Xinhua) -- Egyptian police killed eight drug and arms traffickers in a shootout at their hideouts on Nile islands, north of Cairo, the Egyptian Interior Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday, reported Xinhua.
The men had criminal records for murder, drug smuggling, illegal possession of weapons, armed robbery, and vehicle theft, the ministry said.
They were operating from Nile islands adjacent to the provinces of Menoufia and Qalyubia, using speedboats to facilitate their movements and exploiting the area's terrain to escape security pursuit, it said.
Security forces monitored and tracked the gang's activities before moving in on them.
"The criminals opened fire with massive force, and in the ensuing gun battle, police cut down the suspects," the ministry said.
Police also seized 125 kilograms of drugs estimated to be worth 16 million Egyptian pounds (around US$330,000), along with eight firearms, it added.
-- BERNAMA-XINHUA
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