Al-Arish – Ma’an – Egyptian security forces shut down a large smuggling operation on the border with the besieged Gaza Strip on Saturday night, a security source told Ma’an.

The Egyptian source explained that security officers discovered and shut down four smuggling tunnels. Three of the tunnels were discovered in an open area, while the opening of the forth tunnel was discovered inside an Egyptian home, the source added.

Large quantities of merchandise were seized in the operation as well as a minibus which was allegedly used for delivering goods to the tunnels, the official stated.

Smugglers operate a large network of tunnels along the Gaza-Egypt border, using them to import a wide range of goods made scarce in Gaza by an Israeli-led blockade which began in 2007.