Al-Arish – Ma'an – Three Palestinian fishermen were detained on Saturday night by the Egyptian coast guard, held on charges of illegally entering the country's territorial waters.
The fishermen claimed they were having engine trouble and were dragged along by the current, Ma'an's Egypt correspondent reported.
The incident was not the first of its kind. Egyptian authorities have sentenced fishermen who were detained in similar circumstances to one year of probation and a fine of 1,000 Egyptian pounds (150 US dollars) before returning them to the Gaza Strip.
Meanwhile, Egyptian security forces uncovered a tunnel near the Rafah border used for smuggling cars into the coastal enclave. The tunnel was discovered between the Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings, in an area where Egypt's underground wall has yet to be built.
The fishermen claimed they were having engine trouble and were dragged along by the current, Ma'an's Egypt correspondent reported.
The incident was not the first of its kind. Egyptian authorities have sentenced fishermen who were detained in similar circumstances to one year of probation and a fine of 1,000 Egyptian pounds (150 US dollars) before returning them to the Gaza Strip.
Meanwhile, Egyptian security forces uncovered a tunnel near the Rafah border used for smuggling cars into the coastal enclave. The tunnel was discovered between the Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings, in an area where Egypt's underground wall has yet to be built.
