Al-Arish – Ma’an – Egyptian authorities discovered secret weapon caches in the northern Sinai Peninsula, and detained three African immigrants trying to enter Israel illegally through Egyptian borders, according to Egyptian sources on Wednesday.

The sources explained that one cache contained 250 kilograms of TNT explosives ready to be smuggled into the Gaza Strip. The other three caches contained machineguns, sniper guns, anti-aircraft shells, grenades, and large quantities of ammunition, sources added.

Ma’an has learned that smugglers collect discarded armaments from the Sinai Peninsula, empty their contents for TNT and other explosive materials, and then smuggle the materials to the Gaza Strip through tunnels.

In an unrelated incident, Egyptian security sources said border police detained three African immigrants attempting to enter Israel illegally approximately seven kilometers south of the Kerem Shalom crossing.

The sources said those detained were two Eritrean men, and a woman from Ghana. They told interrogators they paid 3,000 US dollars to traffickers who promised to assist their entry into Israel.

Israeli border guards further announced they detained three other illegal African immigrants after they crossed the border fence between Israel and Sinai on Tuesday evening.